Contents

Shades of the Blade .................................................... 1

A short story about Yazirian clan spirits
In Search of the Gorlians ............................................ 2
Looking into the nature and origin of the Gorlians
mentioned in the Alpha Dawn rules
No Passport for Giggles.............................................. 5
Issue 10 Fall 2014 Dwain takes on another dangerous creature. But this
time its not intentional.
The Frontiers of Horror ............................................ 10
Features Tips for running a horror game in a science fiction
setting.
In the Shadow of the Prodigal Sun .......................... 13
A lost ship with a dead crew. What mysteries are to be
found on the Prodigal Sun?
Titan Rising: 2299 ..................................................... 20
Episode 3 of the new Titan Rising comic
New Cadre: HAG ......................................................... 22
Want to be a holovid star? Youve come to the right
place.
No Passport for Giggles ................................. 5
Bounty Hunters .......................................................... 24
When a being defaults on a loan or has a run in with
the law, someones got to go find them.
How Many Ships are There? ..................................... 27
A look at the number of ships that can be supported by
construction facilities in the Frontier and implications
for the setting.
Edges and Flaws for Starships .................................. 32
Give your ship a little personality.
The Dubliner Family .................................................. 34
In the Shadow of the Prodigal Sun ......... 13 Background on a small family run merchant outfit.
Grymz Guide Comic ..................................... back cover
Whos to blame?

How Many ships are there? ........................... 21

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 Issue 10 Fall 2014

From the Editors Production Credits

Welcome back explorers!
Welcome to issue 10. This issue brings a variety of horror
related articles along with the usual fare of creatures,
equipment, and starships. The issue starts off with a short
story about Yazirian clan ghosts that was the inspiration
for several of the articles in the issue.
As many of you may have already heard, there are several
events that happened related to the Star Frontiers on-line
community and the Frontier Explorer. Back in July as we
were putting issue 9 together I was contacted by Bill
Logan, the creator of our sister Star Frontiers fanzine, the
Star Frontiersman, contacted me to see if we would be
interested in taking over management of that magazine as
he no longer had the time to give it the attention it needed.
As a former author and editor of the Star Frontiersman, I
was quite happy to take over management of the
magazine. The past three months have been spent making
that transition including building the new Star
Frontiersman website, transferring the domain, and
transferring the Star Frontiersman issue entries on
DriveThruRPG. The transfer finished up in early October
and we were able to release issue 25. You can find the
full details on the Star Frontiersman website as well as in
the A Changing Frontier article at the end of issue 25.
So going forward from here, the Frontier Explorer will be
running and producing both magazines. The two
magazines will be sharing the submission queue on the
Frontier Explorer website and new submissions will be Cover Art: My Day with Giggles the Destroyer by
considered for either magazine. If you have a preference Jason A. Davis (Lucifiend on Deviant Art)
you can let us know in the submission comments. The
Back cover comic: AZ_Gamer
Frontier Explorer will continue to be produced quarterly
and will receive priority to make sure we have content Banner Logo Image: NASA
each issue. The Star Frontiersman will be published as
Editors: Tom Stephens, Tom Verreault, William
we have time and content to do so. If you want to see lots
Douglass, Eric Winsor
of issues, we need lots of submissions.
Layout: Tom Stephens, Eric Winsor, William
Related to the transfer of the Star Frontiersman, Bill also
Douglass
officially passed to me the reins of his Star Frontiers
website, http://starfrontiers.us. Ive been hosting that site Full Cover Quote: "It hasn't got a name. It's a new
for nearly 5 years already but now Im officially the site system. I wanted us all to discover it! No one's ever
admin and webmaster. been down here before."
As with all changes, there are bound to be some bumps - Juno (The Descent)
along the way. Bear with us as we work through them. If
you are interested in helping out with either magazine or http://frontierexplorer.org
the websites, let us know at editors@frontierexploer.org.
And as always, keep exploring! @FrontierExpMag
- Tom Stephens
Senior Editor

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ii
 Frontier Explorer
Fiction
Shades of The Blade
Editors Note: This story provided the inspiration of the
adventure contained in this issue along with the article on
running horror campaigns. It can be found in the internet
archive at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20020712204823/http://www.
rpgarchive.com/index.php?advid=121&page=adv1.
Koraffo stared at the Khaddan buried deep in Ulkunks
amorphous corpse. He was the sole survivor now. Why
hadnt he simply refused to follow the human females
orders? Why didnt matter anymore. The Hir-Kal would
be coming for him next. Then it could rest again. The
Yazirian sighed then dropped his blaster belt and blaster
to the deck. Lasers would be no use against such a
phantom. According to legend nothing was. The hissing
song of his Khaddan being swiftly drawn from its sheath
echoed down the silent passageway. If an ancient evil
wanted his life, it would have to pass through ancient
steel to take it.
The morning rays of an unnamed star glinted off the
ablative hull of the privateer, Prodigal Sun as she lifted
slowly into the air. In less than a quarter hour, Sun had
cleared the thin atmosphere of the likewise nameless
planetoid the team had spent two days exploring. Within
an hour, the ship was already building up velocity for the
first void-hop back home.
In a second-hand acceleration couch, Koraffo
absentmindedly fidgeted with his holster. His mouth
cycled through tight-lipped, barely contained anger to
purse-lipped contemplation, back to anger. Pop. Close.
Pop. Close. Pop. Will you cut that out, Marsha Teak
said staring back at him from the pilots seat. Her seething
glare cut through any veneer of civility the two had
managed to maintain to this point. We are taking these
artifacts back to base and thats that. No more discussion.
You read me, Raff?
Loud and clear, The Yazirians lips curled back to show
sharp canines and he flared his nostrils in open contempt
of Teaks decision to continue on in what Koraffo felt was
nothing less than tempting the gods. Ulkunk, the Dralasite
astrogator/engineer/every other free position on the ship,
burbled for a moment. Perhaps we should reconsider,
Captain. After all, disturbing graves isnt standard even
for Streel Corp.
Teak looked at her second-in-command, a nonplussed
expression pasted on her face. She pulled her three-barred
1
Daron Patton
rank insignia from her collar and held them out to the
Dral. Perhaps you should call, Tkeec up here and make
it a unanimous mutiny, Ulk.
The blob blustered at the accusation. No one said
anything about mutiny, Captain. I was simply pointing
out--
Listen, Gentle-beings. For better or worse, I am the
skipper on this little bag of bolts and what I say goes. The
Executive VP has a thing for collections and he wants
anything unusual we run across. Id rate those ancient
Yazzie grave-sites back there as unusual, wouldnt you?
Well, yes, but--
Like I just told our simian muscle-boy here, its not open
to discussion. Not another gods-damned word about it.
From anyone!
No one knows what happened to the crew of Prodigal
Sun. When she was recovered, all four of the crew had
been killed by various grizzly means. The human female
captain had been strangled by some sort of strap. The
Vrusk male archaeologist was dissected into component
anatomical sections, joint by joint. Several deep stab
wounds were found in the Dralasite neuters cadaver.
Circumstantial evidence points to the crews only
Yazirian member, Koraffo except his remains massed less
than four kilograms when recovered, though it all seems
to be present based on proportional analysis. Piracy is one
possible explanation, but why would pirates leave a
perfectly functional ship floating derelict? Strangely the
only thing missing from the ships manifested cargo was a
crate listed simply as artifacts. Perhaps no one will really
ever know what happened aboard this ship.
The Hir-Kal (Clan Shadow) is a venerable legend among
the Yazirians. Protectors of their masters graves, these
spiritual beings supposedly wreak vengeance on any
foolish enough to disturb a Yazirian warriors tomb.
According to myth, the Hir-Kal are creatures of living
darkness, taking their very substance from the absence of
light. From gnawtoki cats to Yazirian nightbirds, they are
said to be capable of changing form, passing through
walls like a Khaddan through water.
Accounts of Hir-Kal attack say that the only way to
survive witnessing a Hir-Kals fury is to not be the
offending party. Other than simple innocence in the
offending act, Yazirian folk history cites no known
defenses against these shade creatures.
FE

Campaign Background
In Search of the Gorlians
Authors note: Special thanks should be given to Richard
Rose (aka Shadowshack) and Robert Bowman who
submitted the articles to Star Frontiersman #8 with their
personal solutions to the Gorlian question. Also special
thanks is due to the members of the Star Frontiers
community that participated in a very lively discussion on
the forum thread at http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/8309:
(in order of posting) Ascent, Iggy, Shadow Shack,
Malcadon, rattraveller, Jaxon, Terl Obar, and Stormcrow.
Thirty years ago when I first opened the expanded game
booklet to the Star Frontiers RPG rules I started reading
through it from page 3. On page 4 there was an example
of using the Personality ability score:
Dreevale the Vrusk has just insulted a Gorlian thug by
accidently spilling a drink on him. The Gorlian is very
mad. Dreevale decides to try talking his way out of the
situation. Oops, pardon me, my good fellow, how
absolutely clumsy of me, the player says. Here, let me
buy you a drink and lets forget about it. Dreevales
Personality score is 40. The referee notes that the
Gorlian is mad and wet and itching for a fight. He tells
Dreevale to subtract 20 from his score. Dreevale rolls 91,
which is greater than his modified score of 20. The
Gorlian punches Dreevale.
Since I was only on the second page of the rules I noted
that there was something called a Gorlian in the setting
and moved on as everything was new and I was trying to
absorb the rules. In the effort to master the rules I guess I
forgot about the Gorlians. Since ability checks are easy to
perform once youve learned the rule I never had an
occasion to turn back to page 4 of the rule book to consult
the examples for performing ability checks. For me the
Gorlians became a forgotten aspect of the Star Frontiers
setting.
Fast forward to 2007 when I began to reconnect with the
Star Frontiers game and reread the rules with fresh eyes. I
already had a depth of familiarity with the rule set and
suddenly the word Gorlian jumped off the page as my
curiosity pondered, Who are the Gorlians? I fully
recognize that we only have the Gorlians because the
writer of the rules example pulled a name out of the air for
his example, however, it still leaves us with an
unanswered question. The Gorlians were simply one of
those sandbox details that individual referees must find a
solution for.
2
Issue 10 Fall 2014
Tom Verreault
In 2008 the Star Frontiersman fanzine already had a fan
submission for a player character race called the Gorlians.
However in the same issue another submitter had made
the Gorlians a Yazirian clan from the planet Hentz. Ive
like and used both ideas over the years but these are not
the only solutions to who the Gorlians are.
A Sapient Species
The Gorlians as a sapient species existing within the
setting could be either a non-player character or a player
character option. One would not even have to use the fan
submission in Star Frontiersman #8 if you had an itch to
create your own alien race.
One of the challenges to doing this is that some thought
should be put into how they became a part of the setting.
What is their history, where did they come from, what is
their home planet like are all details that tend to be
overlooked as was the case for the Gorlian race
submission in Star Frontiersman #8. I like to have these
details as a game referee though other referees might not
care due to a more free-wheeling style of play. For me if a
species exists in the setting then it should really exist in
the setting with a home planet, home environment and so
on. Now I realize this is not actually true for the core four
PC species that are all described as travelling to the
Frontier from elsewhere and this could be the story for the
Gorlians as well but that detail should be decided upon
before introducing them to the setting.
The biggest pro for introducing a new species to the
setting is also the biggest con: youve introduced a new
species to the setting. If you desire is a more Star War
creature cantina style of setting then by all means you
should introduce a new species. However, the Star
Frontiers setting is focused on a narrow area of the galaxy
that is not even big enough to be called 1% of the galaxy
and yet there are a plethora of sapient species that have
evolved in this narrow little area plus the immigrant
species from the core four. Its a bit illogical but this
could be ignored as it really depends on the style of play a
referee likes and that of his group.
A Yazirian Clan
The Gorlian thug, as presented in the rule example, is very
much like the general presentation of yazirians in the
Endless quest books and some of the modules. Making
the Gorlian a yazirian clan noted for thuggish behavior is
a rather simple and elegant solution. It gives you a ready
Frontier Explorer
to hand foil to challenge the player characters with when become thugs living in the lowest echelons of society.
you need a random encounter and the players wont Shades of the classic sci fi movie Blade Runner come to
think much of the encounter because thuggish behavior is mind with an obvious plot hook being the hunting down
expected from Gorlians. of a Gorlian by the player characters. The Gorlians
become a tough opponent for the player characters and the
The writer of the Yazirian Clans article in SFman #8
referee can play with value of life and genetic engineering
added in an element of anti-establishment to his Gorlians
issues in his campaign.
in that this clan feuds with the clan controlling the Family
of One, which is a dominant power structure in yazirian
society. The Gorlia clan from Hentz is a simple and
creative solution that is easy to implement into a
campaign. Its not guaranteed that the Gorlians will be
opposition to the player characters though they could be.

A Cadre of Thugs
Cadres were introduced into the setting with Knight
Hawks but were developed into greater depth in
Zebulons Guide. They may or may not be a criminal
organization. For example, the Brotherhood of Spacers is
not a criminal cadre buy the Silver Death Cult is.
Gorlians as a gang or cadre are ideal for driving action in
a campaign. They will have an agenda that may pit them
against the player characters. Being known as thugs
means the referee can use them to violate the rules of
polite society that another being would not be so quick to
do. Since its a gang like affiliation they can be from any
species and the referee is not limited to yazirians. If the
player characters group bests one group of Gorlian thugs A Word of Yazirian Origin
they may develop a reputation with Gorlian thugs in Its been suggested in the discussion boards that gorlian is
general and any chance encounter with a Gorlian could derived from the Gruna Garu system which is actually
mean trouble at any point in the future. spelled Gruna Goru in the astro catalog (list) in the Alpha
Dawn book but is spelled Gruna Garu on the
The benefits of using Gorlians as a cadre are that cadres accompanying map as well as in the astro catalog and map
already exist in the setting, a cadre can be a source of
from Zebulons Guide. This solution posits that Gorlian
driving action, and its almost guaranteed that they will be
is derived from Goru and simply refers to something that
opposition for the player characters.
originates in the Gruna Goru system like Gorlian beer,
Gorlian entertainment or Gorlian thugs.
An Engineered Race
There are many examples of biological engineering of The planet Hargut in this system has a heavy population
sapient species within the setting. The eorna purposely and resource based economy which we can presume to be
engineered no less than 3 primitive sapient species in less mining. With large urban zones and a tough hard industry
than 1000 years and accidently created a fourth. Another like mining being a major sector of the economy we can
example is the sapes from the Bugs in the System imagine that the thug culture from this system would be
module which were engineered by Renouf Associates of something that would become quite stereotypical in the
Hakosoar and have seen limited testing at corporate Frontier at large possibly promoted through holo-vids.
owned facilities. Other corporate labs might have be The downside is that these thugs are going to be largely
trying to compete with Renouf Associates using lokkuku limited to the Gruna Goru system and are not likely to
(Mission to Alcazzar) or wypong stock (native to drive action for the referee game unless its based on
Lossend) to create a large strong gorilla like menial Hargut.
laborer or potential cannon fodder soldier.
A Word of Human Origin
This would be a simplified version of the sapient species Its also been suggested in the discussion boards that
listed above with their point of origin being a corporate
Gorlian could be a corruption of the human word gorilla.
lab. The engineered species is also a popular theme in In this scenario it had become popular to describe
science fiction and could become a major campaign someone that was big, hulking, ill-tempered and possibly
element for a referee. The gorlians proved tough to
hairy as a gorilla or gorillian. Yazirians are taller than
control and thus many have walked off the job and
humans, hairy, with stereotypical grumpy dispositions and
3

most importantly have a superficial resemblance to a
monkey. Thus its not a stretch to think that the word
gorilla or gorillian came to be used as slang. When the
Pan Gal trade language was developed the word became
corrupted to gorlian when it was brought into Pan Gal as a
loan word from humanitys native tongue. The linguists
that worked on the lexicon was sensitive to the use of
racial epithets and sanitized the definition to mean big,
hulking or ill-tempered and dropped references to
yazirians and monkeys altogether. This definition has
stuck and Frontier wide the word Gorlian is used as a
general adjective.
The Blended Solution
In the real world a word like gorilla has 3 different
meanings; a powerfully built ape, a powerfully built
aggressive looking man, and a dominant contender within
a particular sphere of operation; so why cant Gorlian also
have multiple meanings in the Pan Gal trade language?
It is possible for Gorlian to coincidently be both a human
and yazirian loan word to Pan Gal representing two
different meanings for this word. In fact the human word
may have reinforced the stereotype of a Gorlian thug from
Hargut. A corporate lab may experimented with an
engineered species and officially labelled it Specimen
XL35987 but a slang working name for it was Gorlian
which was impart derived from the Pan Gal word
borrowed from humanity. At the same time there still
could be a clan of yazirians from Hentz called the Gorlia
clan which would not be unusual since Gor would be a
root word in the yazirian language.
What is the greatest STR FRONTIERS
module of all time?
Cast your vote at
http://frontierexplorer.org
4
Issue 10 Fall 2014
To date we have 6 suggested solutions for who or what
the Gorlians are and I, personally, like all of them to one
extant or another. It would be easy enough to use up to 4
of the solutions simultaneously. Ultimately its up to each
referee to choose the solution that fits his game and
campaign the best. For myself Ill be using all of the word
origin solutions and the yazirian clan solution
automatically and reserving the race and cadre solutions
as potential campaign elements to be implemented at
need. The sapient race solution would work well with an
exploration style campaign, the cadre solution would
work well in a pulp adventure style campaign, and the
engineered species would work well in a corporate
intrigue style of campaign. Thus the final choice on those
three options would depend on the campaign I was
planning to run.
The Popularity Poll
A poll was run at http://www.starfrontiers.us/ to
determine the most popular solution within the Star
Frontiers community. The results were as follows:
16.6% - A Yazirian clan
16.6% - A playable race
16.6% - A cadre of thugs
50% - A mistranslation of Garu (Guna Garu)
resulting in a cultural stereotype referring to things
from Guna Garu
The voting was somewhat sparse but the most popular
interpretation was the mistranslation.
FE
Frontier Explorer
Creatures
No Passport For Giggles
Tik pressed me into writing this issues column to
document a dangerous creature of the frontier that caused
us quite a bit of sorrow recently. Dwain and I got invited
to be guests on the pilot of a holo-vid show that some
colleagues of ours are pitching to StarPlay. The premise
of the show is mysteries of the Frontier revealed. Since
the founding of Terledrom there have been stories of
unsuspecting vrusk and dralasites being eaten by a horrific
beast that lurks in the dark tunnels of the ancient volcanic
caverns of Terledroms northern hemisphere. These
caverns are cold, wet, and remote. Hence most vrusk and
dralasites avoid them. However those adventurous few
seem to pop up every few years to go explore the caverns.
Then someone gets eaten and a lone survivor returns to
renew the tales of horror.
Dwain and I made the trip to Terledrom along with a sape
new to our foundation to put a human and yazirian
perspective to these tales. This little adventure cost us
dearly and I feel duty bound to follow Tiks advice and
report the events that transpired.
A Little History
First I should give our readers a little history about the
Ravenous Cave Creatures of Terledrom as the locals call
them. The first tale we could find in our research is of a
vrusk prospector who went north in the early days of the
colonization of Terledrom.
T-Fzz Kst and his partner Deu Ma were early Terledrom
prospectors that combed the planetary survey data logs for
mineral claims to sell to the then up and coming mining
corporations. Satellite scans and aerial surveys had
provided clues of a rich deposit of radioactives. The
prospector took an aircar to the safe landing location
closest to the deposit and hiked in to do detailed scans for
his claim. Two days later he radioed to his partner a
coded message that he had found a rich deposit of fuel
grade plutonium. He logged the location in his
geoscanner and set off on the hike back to his aircar. A
storm arose on the second day of the hike back to the
aircar and T-Fzz took shelter in some volcanic caves for
warmth and to stay dry. He radioed Deu Ma and told him
he expected to be holed up for a few days.
Three days went by and the storm cleared, but there was
no contact from T-Fzz. Deu Ma waited two more days for
a message or T-Fzz to arrive, then he located T-Fzzs
aircar in a satellite image. The vehicle was still in the
5
Eric Winsor
same location it had been the previous time the satellite
had orbited over the site the day before the storm. Deu
Ma contacted the colonial rangers and flew out to the site
with a vrusk ranger named Z-St Vth. They found the
aircar still sealed and set off into the wilderness to the
radio location coordinates from T-Fzzs last message.
The two searched many volcanic caves and lava tubes for
three days. They found T-Fzzs rucksack torn open and
the contents scattered in one lava tube on the second day
but no other signs. Additional rangers and search
personnel were called in and they eventually found
shattered exoskeleton pieces in an excrement pile deep in
a volcanic cave 2 km east of the radio signal location.
DNA testing and forensics reveled the exoskeleton pieces
to be from the head and abdomen of T-Fzz. Testing of the
excrement could not reveal any known Terledrom
creature.
Deu Ma spent the remainder of his life searching for the
missing geoscanner in hopes of finding the plutonium
claim and clues of T-Fzzs demise. Several years after the
loss of T-Fzz, Deu Ma wandered out of the northern wild
into a ranger station with the battered chronocom of T-
Fzz. He had slaved its memory to another chronocom and
retrieved a last frantic distress call from T-Fzz that had
never been able to send before the chronocom was
damaged and the power cut to the system circuits.
T-Fzz had taken shelter in a volcanic cave which
prevented his chronocom from connecting to the planetary
net. At 0317 on the second day of the storm T-Fzz
activated his chronocom for a distress message. The
chronocom recorded seven minutes of the ordeal that was
the end of T-Fzzs life. The recording begins with T-Fzz
screaming, Help! Help! Something grabbed me by the
leg while I was sleeping! There are sounds of gun fire
from T-Fzzs side arm, then a shriek of agony from T-Fzz.
Moments later T-Fzz stops shrieking and the sound of
labored running can be heard from T-Fzz and a low
growling sound.
T-Fzz then is heard chattering wildly that, it ate my legs,
it ate my legs, interspersed with cries and shrieks. There
is the sound of rummaging from T-Fzz tearing through his
rucksack. His medical scanner can be heard activating
and instructing him to use chitin seal on the open wounds
of his legs and warning him of the danger of bleeding out.
Then there is a continuous sound of gun fire as T-Fzz fires
and reloads several times. When the gun fire ceases, T-

Eric Winsor
Fzz is heard saying No, No, No over and over again as
his exoskeleton is heard snapping and crunching in some
unknown beasts mouth. There is one final gurgling
sound from T-Fzz and the remaining time of the recording
is of the beast crunching away at T-Fzzs body with a
final metallic sound of what must have been the
chronocom being eaten. The chronocom has a deep tooth
mark which likely came from that moment that severed
the devices power.
Deu Ma entered the data in the ranger database as
evidence of a dangerous Terledrom creature and vowed to
discover and kill the beast. Over the next several years
many northern settlement records show Deu Ma
purchasing supplies, weapons, and ammunition in his hunt
for the Ravenous Cave Creature as Deu Ma called it.
Then Deu Ma stops showing up. It is presumed that Deu
Ma found the ravenous cave creature and lost his life too.
However some say that Deu Ma found T-Fzzs
geoscanner and sold the claim to Terledrom Mining
Northern Territory and retired a wealthy dral.
Terledrom Mining Northern Territory did set up a rich
plutonium mine shortly after Deu Ma disappeared. They
enforce a strict company policy of no personnel outside of
the mine perimeter. Over the years many miners have
claimed to see a large ravenous beast with a maw full of
teeth surrounded by tendrils. There have been several
disappearances of miners outside the perimeter with no
evidence. The miners blame the ravenous cave creatures.
Hunting Myths
We meet up with the holovid crew at our hotel in
Sengsen. They introduced us to a young vrusk corporate
accountant who had until recently been an avid member
of the Vrusk Cave Exploration Society of Terledrom. He
had decided with two friends to explore the volcanic
caves of the north and find out if the ravenous cave
creatures were real. We cannot release the name of this
young vrusk as he is under investigation about the
disappearance of his two friends. His company has put
him on suspension and he is barred from travel off world
and has a tracer implant. He wanted to go back and find
the beast to exonerate himself. The producers felt this
plot twist to myth expos would make the pilot episode
sell well to StarPlay. They may sell their holovid series
6
Issue 10 Fall 2014
but the cost has been dear and the JHF is saddened to have
been involved.
We flew north the following morning with a camera
woman, a director, the vrusk guide, his lawyer, and a
police detective. Dwain and I brought Guph, a sape that
we brought on with the Foundation to work with animals
when robots are not appropriate. I am a fan of sapes as
replacements to robot servants which can be treated as
equals. They are simple minded but have the capacity for
love and devotion that robots do not.
The expedition started with a day-long hike into a
volcanic cavern retracing the route the young vrusk had
taken with his companions. That night we camped in the
cave with a sensor net activated to warn us of any
perimeter breaches. The next day we reached the location
of the attack and stopped to make a proper examination of
the crime scene. The detective, Dwain, and I conducted a
thorough examination of the scene and easily determined
that there had been a conflict. There was dried vrusk
blood and fluids, and the gear of the two missing vrusk
cavers. Nothing conclusively implicated an animal or
creature to the incident. Nor did anything exonerate the
young vrusk. What was distinctly lacking were bodies or
any remains beyond the dried blood. The detective started
thinking of the case as a potential homicide and not just
missing persons. The lawyer began hampering the
communication of our young vrusk guide by making him
speak only through him.
That afternoon Guph wandered off into the darkness while
we were cleaning up from documenting the scene of the
attack. Dwain was the first to notice that he was gone.
We hurriedly stowed our gear and elected to break into
two search pairs with Dwain pressing back along the path
we had taken and I going forward. The holovid director
went with me and the camerawoman went with Dwain.
The young vrusk, the detective, and the lawyer stayed at
the attack site and set up the sensor net. We remained in
direct link via chronocom as far as the signals would
allow, in the confines of the cave environment. The
attack site party set their chronocoms to relay our signals
which effectively doubled our limited range.
The way forward was impaired by a few sections of
bouldering to get over rocks that had fallen from the
volcanic ceiling. The rocks were sharp and hard to climb
over while protecting our hands, knees, and elbows. After
an hour we began to suspect that Guph would not have
bothered with traveling this way and suspected that he had
gone back. Our chronocom communication was getting
marginal so I halted our explorations as Dwain and I
discussed turning back to search for Guph. The detective
joined the discussion in support of turning back with the
evidence in hand. At that point the lawyer joined in and
vigorously argued that the expedition must press forward
for the sake of his client. An argument ensued between
the two and the director and camerawoman started
Frontier Explorer
pressing Dwain and I to return as quickly as possible to gun dropped from his hand. Dwain grabbed his
the attack site so that they could cover the argument. I chronocom and yelled, Jurak! Help!
was forced to whistle into the chronocom very loudly to
Dwains cry for help startled the camerawoman and she
regain control of the communication channel. That
dropped her camera to the ground and began firing her
whistle was answered by a growl from ahead of us in the
blaster wildly. She called on her chronocom, Its big!
darkness. I stopped all communication by announcing
Come help fast! Its gonna eat Dwain!
that something was growling and had started toward us in
the dark. The director started retreating back down the The detective called back, Im on my way! grabbed my
passage. I held my ground and readied to set my flash pack of tanglers and bolted up the passage. I ran into the
light to full luminance at the last moment in hopes of director in the dark, grabbed him by the arm and ran him
blinding the creature. forward as I called, Im coming Dwain! Fight like
mad! The sape followed my lead and bolted ahead of us.
Suddenly the growling stopped. I dropped to a crouch.
The director was now far down the passage making his Dwain crawled frantically on the ground trying to reach
way back to the attack site. I unclipped the latch on my his pistol as the camerawoman fired everywhere. The
side arms holster. I could hear something crawling creature kept advancing, pulling Dwain closer as he
forward and sniffing as it went. The creature stopped gained ground centimeter by centimeter towards his
moving behind the boulder I was crouched behind and pistol. Then the creature stopped moving forward and
waited. Then there was a barely perceptible sape growl. I began pulling Dwain into its gaping maw. Dwain pulled
spoke softly, Guph? and switched on my light to low his knife, rolled to a sitting position and began slashing at
beam. Guph stood up slowly from behind the rock with a the tendril attached to his boot while he dodged the other
distinct look of worry and fear on his face. I calmed him tendrils. The tendril was sticky yet slippery to his blade
and encouraged him to approach me. He reached out to the few times it made contact. He quickly came to the
me and presented me the severed hand of a vrusk. conclusion that he was not going to be able to cut his way
I called back to the team that I had found Guph. I
explained that Guph had been growling at us. I explained
that he had found vrusk remains and was very frightened
by something. We agreed to return to the attack site and
regroup. The director called that he could see the light of
the attack site lanterns and was almost there. Dwain and
the camerawoman called that they were turning back as
well. We all relaxed a bit until fifteen minutes later when
Dwain called in a very cautious voice.
Jurak! There is something following us and it is very big.
We are picking up the pace to get to you as quickly as
possible but it is matching our movement.
I called back that we understood the message and
instructed the attack site team to open my bag and retrieve
the tangler grenades I had stowed in the bottom pouch. I
instructed them to snare the creature following Dwain and
to use as many as they liked.
Dwain and the camerawoman were nearly running as they
reached a boulder they had to climb over. Dwain helped
the camerawoman climb over first and then scrambled
over the top. When he got to the other side he found the
camerawoman setup with her camera ready to record.
Dwain could smell a putrid reek close behind him and
jumped down from the boulder just as a slimy tendril
whipped across his leg and adhered to his boot. He
started to run but the tendril tripped him to the ground.
The camerawoman turned on her flood light and started
recording. Dwain rolled onto his back and pulled out his
pistol, firing one shot at the beast as it clambered over the
boulder. The bullet stuck and the beast jerked, flipping Dwain Ensnared from My Day with Giggles the Destroyer by
Dwain forward and landing him hard on his back. His Jason A. Davis

7
 Issue 10 Fall 2014
free and likely to lose his blade by getting it stuck to the threads. Time was running out. Dwain barked, Give
tendril. He turned the blade up and cut the laces of his giggles there more. And I pumped five more rounds into
boot and jerked his foot free. the beast. Three more than I would normally do with an
unknown creature this size, but we were all pretty tense.
Dwain scrambled forward snatching up his pistol as he
The darts struck various locations along the creatures
got to his feet. He got back to the camerawoman and
flank. I was hoping to find more susceptible tissue for the
began firing at the beast as he pulled the camerawoman
drug to enter the creatures system. One dart struck close
backward in a fighting retreat. The beast continued
under the leg and as the creature struggled, it closed its leg
advancing towards them blocking the entire tunnel forcing
down upon the dart forcing it deeper into its flesh. The
them to continue their retreat. Several minutes later
beast jerked and growled, ripping its leg free.
Dwain and the camerawoman had exhausted their
ammunition and were continuing their retreat, throwing Time was up. The beast was jerking and fighting wildly.
rocks, when the detective reached them. The detective The natural instincts of fight or flight were kicking in.
stopped shocked by the scene. His mandibles chattered as This appeared to be the first time any attack had seriously
he composed himself. Then he pulled the pin on the inflicted pain on the creature, despite the many bullet
tangler grenade in his hand and chucked it into the gaping wounds to its mouth. I looked to Dwain and he shook his
maw. The casing erupted releasing its gooey threads all head, the doze was not working fast enough. I rummaged
over the beasts successive rings of teeth in a violent through my pack and pulled out a doze grenade. We did
burst. The beast reeled back and coughed. The tangler not have good ventilation and the grenade would likely
threads began to harden, constricting the movement of the catch us to. I hesitated. The lawyer saw me hesitating
massive maw. Then the beast spat and the threads began and urged me to throw it. I countered that I didnt think it
to quickly dissolve. would be safe. He shot back that there was no time and
snatched the grenade from hand, pulled the pin and threw
The detective cursed and began throwing grenades
it. All I could think to do was yell, RUN!
repeatedly all over the beast. Dwain and the
camerawoman joined in until they had emptied my pack. We all ran, but the poor dral lawyer was not fast enough.
The beast was thoroughly entangled but kept spitting. All The expanding cloud of doze overtook him and he
the threads around its mouth dissolved away. Its legs collapsed into unconsciousness. Unfortunately one doze
were held fast to the cavern floor and the advance of the grenade was not enough to stay the beast, it slowed its
beast was checked. The camerawoman resumed active motions for a minute then renewed its struggle and pulled
recording of the creature. Dwain called back that he was its other fore leg free allowing it to turn about and inspect
safe for the moment but that he didnt think tanglers its bonds. It began spitting on its legs. The tangler
would hold this beast long. The detective kept his side
arm trained on the beast.
We hurried back to the attack site and found the young
vrusk and his lawyer. They would not come with me until
I mentioned that there was no proof that there was only
one ravenous cave beast and another might come along
while we were gone. I impressed upon them it was better
to stay together and finish this business as quickly as
possible. They followed us very reluctantly.
We rushed up the tunnels to Dwain and found the three
nervously awaiting the creatures inevitable escape from
the dwindling tangler threads. Dwain and I quickly began
debating how to restrain this beast for transport. Dwain
quickly informed me that the beasts saliva seemed to
dissolve tangler threads rather efficiently and that he felt it
was only a matter of time before it discovered that it could
spit on the tangler threads holding its feet and free itself.
We resolved to try to put it to sleep with doze darts. I
readied my needler rifle and fired two darts into its mouth
as Dwain began scanning with a medical scanner to try
and determine if the doze was having any effect.
Several minutes went by and Dwain could find no signs
that the doze was having any effect. The beast kept
pulling at its entangled feet breaking more and more
Tom Verreault
8
Frontier Explorer Ravenous Cave Creature of Terledrom
threads began dissolving. (Giggles the Destroyer)
The beast began pulling free and Guph recognized the TYPE: Carnivore
peril the unconscious dral was in. Guph rushed into the SIZE: Large : 20cm
doze cloud and began pushing the lawyer toward us. One NUMBER: 1 to 5
tendril reached out and caught Guph around the neck.
Guph struggled forward pushing the dral. Then another Fast : 80 m/t for 3 combat
grabbed him around the leg and Guph went down. Guph MOVE: rounds then medium (55 m/t)
after that
was pulled into the beasts mouth and the chewing began.
Thats when I saw Dwain rush forward with a grenade in IM/RS: +5/50
his hand. Goodbye Giggles! he shouted as he threw it STAMINA: 125-150
into the creatures mouth. Then there was a blinding flash ATTACK: 65
of light and fire. The incendiary grenade ignited the DAMAGE: 2d10
ravenous cave creature as well as Guph and it spat Guph
Tendril Grab (with half
out in response. Dwain followed the first grenade with SPECIAL ATTACK:
strength tangler fluid)
another then he jumped on top of Guph and held him
down. There was a deafening bang and the fragmentation Spits half strength solvaway
grenade ripped mouth parts from the creature and which it can use against
splattered them all over the cave. Dwain began frantically commercial tangler threads.
patting and smothering Guphs burning fur. Behind him SPECIAL DEFENSE: Buries itself in mud and brush
the ravenous cave creature withered about in pain as it and becomes immune to IR
began to bleed out. The detective and director rushed in detection as well as counts as
to pull the lawyer to safety as the young vrusk and I camouflaged.
carried Guph and Dwain away. It took an hour for the NATIVE WORLD: Terledrom
beast to die.

Goodbye Guph GM Notes

We treated Guphs wounds as the ravenous cave creature
died. His left arm was eaten away and his back and left
side were deeply lacerated. The burns from the
incendiary grenade had burned away much of his fur and
caused 3rd degree burns over much of his body. We
bandaged Guph as best we could and shot him full of
Staydose. We carried him out of the caves on a make-
shift stretcher while the young vrusk and the detective ran
ahead to retrieve the aircar to evac Guph. Guph survived
the incident but not the flight back to a hospital. Dwain
and I regretted not having Tik along as we usually do.
I asked Dwain how he happened to have a fragmentation
grenade and incendiary grenade with him. Dwain
responded that Tik had made him promise to take them as
a precaution if they would not take him along. Tik, we
are sorry we did not take you along and we will never
leave you home again.
-Jurak
P.S. We forgive you for shipping us storage class to
Osaka.
Readers wishing Jurak Hangna to investigate a
creature of the Frontier need only submit a
picture and any details of the creature via
FrontierExplorer.org. Submitters must have
rights and permission to submit all artwork.
Fact: The saliva on the creatures tendrils is a mucus that
helps in grabbing its victims. Vrusk scientist studying this
creature developed the tangler grenade from this very
compound. The creatures existence has been kept as a
Terledrom government secret since the colonization of
Terledrom to protect the formulas for tangler and
solvaway. The Myth exposure holovid series never
launches as the Terledrom government confiscated all
recording data from the expedition.
The creature also has a gland that secrets a solution that
lets it dissolve its natural tangler mucus and tangler
threads. PCs can harvest this provided they have a
specimen container to keep it fresh. This will act as 1/2
strength solvaway.
The creature has no nerves inside its mouth so it will not
react to wounds inflicted inside its mouth. Damage rolls
to the mouth are normal.
Editors Note
The Jurak Hangna article titled, Gorilian Carnivorous
Wom in Frontier Explorer issue 3 mistakenly used the
spelling gorilian throughout the article. The proper
spelling is gorlian. Jurak, Dwain, and Tik wish to
apologize to any gorlians out there who may have taken
offence. The error was purely accidental and not
intentional.
FE

9

Gaming Tips
The Frontiers of Horror
Running a Horror
Science Fiction RPG
Adventure
With classic movies like Alien and Predator, horror has
been a cornerstone of science fiction. The nature of role
playing games skews the majority of adventures toward
action adventures yet a horror themed adventure could be
a nice change of pace. The question is how to run one?
Elements of Horror
A referee must understand and employ the elements of
horror to run a horror adventure. In the following
sections, these elements are reviewed and practical
suggestions are made for including them in a game
session.
Fear, Surprise and Suspense
Fear and horror go hand in hand. Audiences and readers
of horror stories experience fear because they
identify with the characters in the story or with the fears
experienced by those characters. However, the player
Tom Verreault
Issue 10 Fall 2014
Tom Verreault
characters only have emotion if the role-player portrays it.
If he player begins to understand that there is real
jeopardy for his character and that bad things can and will
happen that he may not be able to do anything about the
player may begin to experience and play that fear.
Surprise is about turning the expected on its head. Many
horror stories save the monster as part of the surprise and
there isnt a big reveal of the monster till the end. In order
to simulate this in an RPG, the referee needs to not reveal
hard details of the monsters game stats to the players
until the end. He can describe the monster but not
actually name it.
Suspense is simply waiting for something to happen.
Suspense develops as characters wait for something to
happen.
Pop-out surprises something jumping out at the
characters in a horror drama can shock and surprise. Not
all pop outs need to be harmful. An early series of pop-
outs can be relatively harmless to prepare the characters
can for a harmful pop out to be unexpectedly harmful. A
referee should guard against over use as that leads to
desensitization.
In most role playing games players debate
moves and decide on a course of action. There is
a convention of giving everyone a say and group
brainstorming. To a certain degree there is
unlimited time to do this. However, characters in
a horror story rarely have that much time to deal
with the source of their fears, they are often
reacting not initiating action.
The conventions of a role playing game should
be adapted to force the players to react and
potentially experience fear, surprise, and
suspense in the game. The referee can artificially
deprive the players of their luxury of unlimited
planning by having a timeline of events with
bad things keyed to times and places in the
adventure. In addition he should keep a timer
(kitchen timer or smart phone) that dings every
10, 15, or 20 minutes and when this happens
game time advances one ten minute turn. In this
way the players are forced to make a quick
decisions and go with it and not try to work out
the most optimal plan. This technique was used
in the Space Hulk board game to ratchet up
tension for the space marine player leaving him
10
Frontier Explorer
Scott Mulder
only 3 minutes to make all his moves while the tyrannid
player had all the time he wanted. Its also employed in
theater; simply placing a clock on stage creates tension in
the audience. What the players will quickly realize is that
time is running out and they dont know if something bad
is about to happen according to the referees timeline.
While it might not actually induce true fear it will create
tension and possibly dread of the timer.
Mystery
Mysteries are an expected part of horror and support
suspense and surprise. In the movie Sixth Sense, the
mystery revealed at the end was shocking in its revelation.
Including a mystery to be solved can give direction to the
adventure for the players and enhance the surprise and
suspense factors of the adventure. Having a goal like
solving a mystery gives structure and direction preventing
the adventure from languishing.
Gore
The visual nature of movies has brought about a change in
the expectations of horror fans. A survey of
undergraduates by a professor showed that they expected
some gore in a good horror story. The good news here is
that RPGs lend themselves to this since one major
component of RPG rules is combat and by extension
killing things.
Tastes may vary but less is probably more when it comes
to gore. A referee should focus on having more
descriptive narrative that paints the visual picture in the
imaginations of his players. The gore in Alien is
surprisingly limited to one scene, the chest burster. Its
shocking despite being foreshadowed and its rather tame
compared to latter slasher films but it is one of the most
horrific moments of the movie.
11
Archetype Characters
in Horror
Horror movies have become somewhat formulaic in that
there are now recognized archetypes for the protagonist:
the jock, the cheerleader, the nerd/stoner, the minority, the
nice guy, and the last girl. Each serves a role in the story
with some of them being the person that the audience is
actually rooting for the monster to kill. Most often its the
jock or the cheerleader because they have picked on the
nerd/stoner or simply been arrogant or slutty.
RPGs are about the players who supply their own
characters and the players will clearly be rooting for their
character to survive which actually casts them in the role
of nice guy, nerd, or last girl. RPGs are replete with non-
player characters who are sometimes throw away
characters you expect to die. In Aliens the one character
we really loved seeing get it was the corporate exec
because he was such a jerk and tried to kill characters we
really cared about. Many sci-fi settings embrace the idea
of a powerful mega corporation as a force of greed and
sometimes evil. Science fiction horror should embrace the
archetype of the corporate exec; they guy everyone at the
table is rooting for the monster to kill.
The Spoiler
Another modern development in horror story telling is the
spoiler. At some point in the beginning of the story the
audience learns something about a characters fears which
plays into the story latter. We like knowing secrets and
this convention has become part of the genre.
One way to do this in a game session is to use the vignette
from D&D 4th edition. At the start of the adventure the
referee gives the players each a NPC with goals and
agenda and sets the scene. The players adopt that NPC as
a character for a 15 minute scene and attempt to obtain
their goal. This is less about stats and game mechanics
and more about the drama between the characters. A
scene very much like the one from Aliens works for this:
some of the crew are potentially infected with an alien
agent and they are not being let onto the ship, these crew
want back on the ship badly, the captain is adamant that
they cannot be let on and the android doctor has a secret
directive to preserve samples of alien life even at the
expense of the human crew so he wants to let them on.
The scene would play out and the monster ends up killing
all of them. The actual game begins when the PCs begin
investigating the derelict ship. The players know
something about what happened but the mystery of the
monster is still intact.
The vignette could alternately be a scene from a corporate
meeting with the corporate executive mentioned in
archetypes. Nobody is going to die in this vignette but a
decision will be made by the participants that will affect
 Issue 10 Fall 2014
the coming adventure. Include enough parties
with varied agendas and let the players role-
play the scene. The decision reached becomes
the corporate policy governing its reaction to
what is about to happen in the adventure.

Pacing and
Multiple Game
Sessions
A horror story that can be played out in one
game session is going to be fairly simple. One
that takes multiple sessions will suffer from
breaks in the tension that spoils the hard work
of the referee creating tension in his players.
Breaks in the game are going to happen. A
referee can look for a natural moment of
tension release to end a session like comic
relief. Inevitably there are moments in any
RPG session when funny things are said or
happen, much like those moments of comic
relief in a movie. Watch for these and use
them. Alternately, the referee can end the
session on a cliff hanger, leaving the tension
high till the next session. What is important here is to
leave the anxiety level high so that the players are
worrying and thinking about what will happen to their
character till the next session.
Monster Archetypes
The Remorseless Killer is your Frankenstein monster, a
malignant demon, or mindless killer. Sometimes serial
killers fit this archetype.
The Predatory Killer is your vampire, hunter, parasite,
possessing demon, or body snatcher. His goal is to prey
on his victims.
The Changeling or Shape-shifting Killer is your
werewolf, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, and some serial
killers. What is important is to portray a radical change
between the two personas. Commonly this is done by
giving the good/social personal a very mild manner than
making the killer persona extremely monstrous for a stark
contrast.
The Unkillable Killer is your ghost, avenging spirit, and
unstoppable force. It desires vengeance or redemption but
it is implacable in the pursuit of its goals.
Who Dies and the Take
Back
In horror stories the protagonists die and yet killing off
PCs in a RPG session puts players out of the game. The
question is how to run a game where killing and death are
prevalent and yet not spoil the fun for the players.
12
Scott Mulder
In movie making they have a convention called the take
back where it looks to the audience that someone has died
but somehow they survive. Its used to heighten the
impact of the next death. Audiences instinctively know
that once one character they care about has been taken
back from the brink of death the next time is for real. Role
playing games incorporate plenty of mechanisms for take
backs: in fantasy games it is healing spells and potions,
but in sci-fi it is technology based. These methods can be
used to do take backs in game but at some point someone
is going to die otherwise there is no real jeopardy.
Since most players dont care if a NPC gets killed, a
referee can change this by letting the players create an
NPC. Someone that is connected to the players PC in
some way; friend or family. Part of the PCs mission
might involve ensuring that this NPC survives with
success meaning a bonus in game money or experience
points.
Last Thoughts
Ultimately a decision will need to be made over the focus
of the game. What is more important: horror or
adventure? If the answer is horror than dead PCs should
be expected and perhaps even a total party kill. If the
focus is adventure then the referee will need to walk a fine
line to avoid too many PC deaths in a story genre that is
supposed to kill protagonists. However, players that do
foolish things, like going alone into the creepy
basement, should suffer consequences.
FE
Frontier Explorer
Adventure
In the Shadow of the
Prodigal Sun
Overdue for years and presumed lost with all hands, the
Prodigal Sun has been sighted drifting in the outer reaches
of a star system. A team is being dropped off to recover
and salvage her. What mysteries does she hold and will
they survive the experience or will the Prodigal Sun take
them down to Perdition?
Rule System and
Setting
The Star Frontiers rules and setting are the default for this
adventure but it should prove easily adaptable to other
rule systems and settings. The Alpha Dawn and the
Knight Hawks rules are required for this adventure but it
is intended to play out as an Alpha Dawn adventure with
no actual ship to ship combat.
Historical Background
The Prodigal Sun is an armed privateer commissioned by
the Streel Corporation toward the end of the corporate war
on Laco. However, it never participated in that conflict
and was repurposed from an armed troop carrier to a
heavy exploration scout. Responsible for discovery of the
New Streel system, the crew scouted new resources for
Streel Corporation for eight years before going missing in
the vicinity of Zebulon and Scree Fron.
Setting up this
Adventure
This adventure is designed to be a horror adventure but
could be played out as an action adventure typical of most
other Star Frontiers modules. If the referee is going to
emphasize the horror themes of the module he should be
familiar with the previous article, The Frontiers of
Horror, which gives advice on running a horror
adventure in a science fiction setting. The adventure will
work well enough in either genre.
The premise is simple, a drifting hulk is to be recovered or
salvaged. The player characters are to be the team doing
this. They can be in the employ of Streel Corp, a rival
mega corporation, Space Fleet, a militia, or even private
operators - whatever works for the referees own
campaign. Streel Corporation would dearly love to find
out what happened to their ship and recover a significant
asset, but other corporations would love a chance at
finding out what Streel might have discovered with this
13
Tom Verreault
ship. A Space Fleet or militia team will be just following
orders and a private team would be just looking for the
salvage.
The ship will be discovered drifting in the outer reaches of
an isolated system. The actual system is not that important
and a referee has flexibility in which one. What is
important is that the PCs are isolated and outside help is
difficult or impossible to obtain. A system like Prenglar
which is the hub of the Frontier Sector with major space
stations and a large Space Fleet presence would be
unsuitable for this purpose. Systems like Dixons Star,
Zebulon, Belnafaer, or even Starmist (after is discovery)
would work well. Scree Fron might be a possibility as
long as there are no ships in system that can be radioed for
help. In fact, if this system is used, the referee might want
to have the local star in an unusual phase of solar and ion
storms interfering with radio communication.
The Prodigal Sun was spotted by chance by the astrogator
of a ship hot footing through a system and a query of
the hulks IFF transponder got a low power return. Hot
footing is when a ship has no intention of decelerating to
and rendezvousing with a planet or station in the system
but rather decelerates for half the time it will take to
compute its next void jump. The ship then accelerates for
the other half of that time interval and makes the jump
spending the least amount of time in system. Thus the
ship is not going to be available to stop and investigate.
This would normally mean that a salvage ship will have to
be dispatched later and hope they could relocate the
Prodigal. Fortunately (or unfortunately) a company
executive is on board and hes ordered the PCs to attempt
to salvage the ship using a shuttle.
When the ship performs turn over to begin accelerating on
its outbound trajectory the shuttle will detach with a team
and rendezvous with the Prodigal Sun to establish the
salvage claim. The ship dropping them off will dispatch
another ship to assist them when it reaches the next star
system. They can expect this ship in 1-2 weeks at the least
but everyone knows it could take longer so the shuttle is
being outfitted with provisions for a month. The shuttle
has an atomic drive so it will have more than enough fuel
to reach the hulk.
Finally, the corporate executive, Lazarus Burk, is coming
along to supervise. Its clear he views this as a chance to
advance his career.
 Issue 10 Fall 2014
Players Briefing
Lazarus Burk, the company exec, stood at the head of the
conference room and addressed the team, The ships
astrogator discovered a drifting hulk while confirming
our position after jumping into this system. The captain
queried its IFF transponder and the low power response
was that of the SCS Prodigal Sun. The Prodigal Sun is a
Streel corporation exploration ship that disappeared 12
years ago exploring in the vicinity of the Lesser Morass
nebula. There are potential secrets on that boat and
were going to go find out what they are. The Captain
cannot stop and must make his schedule so well be taking
the ships shuttle and a salvage ship will be dispatched
once this ship reaches its destination. It could take two Scott Mulder
weeks for the salvage ship to get here but we will bring a
month worth of supplies. broken into (100+d100 structural points). None of the
internal gun mounts have weapons as the gun mounts are
Players will have their personal equipment and a month a design legacy left over from Lacos War.
worth of water and food loaded onto the atomic powered
shuttle. Other appropriate supplies can be requisitioned The obvious ways to enter the Prodigal Sun would be
from the ship as the referee approves. through the main hatch (deck 3), the probe door hatch
(deck 7), a work pod hatch (deck 9), one of the landing
NOTE: This is the point where the obligatory warning is module vehicle hatches (landing module deck 2) or the
given to warn players intending to play the adventure that bottom hatch to the landing module (LM deck 2).
they should stop reading.
Deck 1 Sky Bridge
New Sub Skills There is nothing of interest here.
For this adventure there are new sub skills that a medic
can perform with the aid of his medical scanner. Deck 2 Bridge
The subspace radio is missing both the tuning buffer and
Preliminary Autopsy the tachyon alignment module. They have not been
Use of this sub-skill will give a cause of death but not a destroyed but simply removed. The tuning buffer holds
wealth of details. It only takes a few minutes of time with coordinates for the last sub space call and could be a clue
the scanner. Chance of success is automatic. to where the ship was when it made that call. The radio
could be used without this part but each sub space call
Full Autopsy will need to be realigned by the astrogator even if calling
Successful use of this skill will generate details but takes
to the same star system. The tachyon alignment module is
2-5 hours (1d4+1). A failed skill check only means that
crucial for operating the radio and it cannot be aligned
one or more details were missed depending on the
without it. Neither part can be manufactured on ship but
percentage of failure. For a really bad roll simply tell the
they can be replaced at port.
player the autopsy is taking longer than expected and
require another 2-5 hours and a second skill check with a There is the body of a human female strapped into the
+20 modifier for the accumulated time. pilots seat. Her ship suit proclaims her to be Captian
Marsha Teak. A preliminary autopsy will show she died
The Ship of manual strangulation (see crew roster for more details
of her death).
The Prodigal Sun is a Red Thunder class privateer (see the
deck plans and write-up in issue 9). The lander module is The bridge weapons locker is empty.
present and the ship appears intact. The ship is air tight
The astrogation station cannot reveal where the ship has
and life support has been dialed down to minimal levels
been. The data has been lostor erased.
such that the temperature is just a few degrees below zero
and the air is very stale. One engine has completely
expended its fuel and the other has almost done so as well.
Deck 3 Main Hatch
Emergency lighting is sporadic and almost nothing has There is the body of a human male not in a space suit with
power to operate. his foot caught in the outer airlock door. His ship suit
proclaims him to be Drewel Patton. A preliminary
All security doors still have emergency power and their autopsy shows he died by asphyxiation (see crew roster
locks will need to be defeated by a technician or the door for more details of his death).
14
Frontier Explorer
The airlock is unpowered and frozen in place. It will
require manual strength to open or warming up key areas
to unfreeze it.
The main weapons locker has had an explosion inside that
somehow did not puncture the outer skin of the ship. All
the weapons that are here were damaged and are unusable.
The destroyed weapons present do not seem to be enough
for the kind and size of privateer that this ship is. Its not
initially noticeable but the floor plates are damaged
opening this deck to the sub deck crawl space below.
Note that the hole to the sub deck is covered in wreckage
and will not be found without a determined search.
All escape pods are present save one.
Deck 4 Computer Deck
There are two security robots in the robotic recharge
terminals. They have been receiving a trickle charge from
the emergency power feed and their parabatteries are fully
charged. Their mission is to protect the Prodigal Sun
against intruders with intruders defined as anyone not on
the crew roster. Their programming authorized them to
use deadly force with intruders that do not surrender.
Their programming further instructs them to detain
intruders in Streel corporate uniforms and confirm via
chronocom with the ships Captain or officer of the watch
that they are permitted aboard. The robots will not use
deadly force if an intruder is wearing a Streel uniform
unless the intruder damages them in anyway.
Security Robots: Level 3 robot, STA 100, IM +6, Move
90/turn, Ranged 60%, Melee 60%, Installed equipment:
type 1 parabattery (500 SEU), flashlight, polyvox,
chronocom; Carried Equipment: Electrostunner with 2
clips, 2 tangler grenades, 2 dose grenades, albedo screen
(operates off the parabattery) and mag shoes; Installed
programs: Attack/Defense.
Deck 5 Crew Quarters
The double occupancy rooms were not in use and
Tom Verreault
15
therefore are empty. The captains quarters belonged to
Marsha Teak and the other four crew members had the
single occupancy rooms. The body of Ulkunk the dralasite
astrogator/engineer is just outside the door to his room
(3rd one from the captains). A preliminary autopsy will
reveal exfluidation or severe fluid loss from several deep
stab wounds.
The crew all had personal effects of which there will be
little interest for the PCs. Hidden in Koraffalos room is a
khadan sword with dralasite fluids on it.
Deck 6 Galley & Rec Deck
On the food prep table in the kitchen, the vrusk
archaeologist TKeec, has been dissected into anatomical
components, joint by joint and arranged on the table as a
gruesome biological display. An initial autopsy will show
that TKeec was alive for most of the dissection. (See
crew roster for more details of his death).
In dry food storage is extensive supplies that look a bit old
but could be serviceable if the PCs food doesnt last. The
floor is littered with some of the packaging that has been
ripped open and the food consumed. Cold food storage
and the freezer has food remaining in it but it is dried out
and freezer burned and nothing looks edible anymore.
When normal power is restored to the ship the holo
projector will begin playing a looped recording from the
teams last landing showing the discovery of yazirian
graves and the debate to loot them for artifacts. The
content is mainly the heated exchange between Marsha
Teak and Koraffalo over looting the yazirian graves they
discovered and Koraffalo storming off into the bush after
losing the fight.
Deck 7 Med-Lab
Koraffalo the yazirian is in a state of stasis (freeze field)
in surgical room #2. Its uncertain how he would have
ended up like that. There appears to be nothing wrong
with him medically and he can be revived by a medic
(treat the presence of the med-lab as a hospital for skill
check purposes). See the crew roster for details on playing
Koraffalo as an NPC.
The lab terminals for both bio and physical specimen
investigation have been smashed and destroyed. There
will be no accessing the main computer through these
terminals till they are repaired at port.
There are only 2 probes left in the probe bay and one of
the probe doors is open to space. A careful examination of
the outside of the ship will reveal direct access to the ship
can be made through one of the probe launch doors.
Opening the probe bay hatch will depressurize the deck
unless the probe launch door is sealed. The security door
beyond the pressure hatch in the probe bay has emergency
power and will present a problem requiring defeat of its
lock to access the deck.
 Issue 10 Fall 2014
The probe system computer is a stand-alone computer that
Roll 2d10 Description
links to the main computer. It has records of all the probe
launches and will show details of multiple probe launches Biological Samples* Samples from the
2
in what appear to be two different star systems. The first various planets visited.
appears to not have had an inhabitable planet. The second Power Packs* 1d10 power belt packs
3
had an inhabitable planet and evidence from the probe fully charged
scans showed what looked like a reflection from the Freeze Fields 2 fully functional freeze
4
surface that the computer classifies as a starships hull. fields.
Spare Robot Parts parts and
Deck 8 Engineering 5 components for repairing the on-board
robots.
Main life support is off-line. It appears a power surge
Geologic Samples Each time this is
might have knocked it out. Backup life support is still
6 rolled it should be from a different planet or
working at minimal levels but the internal temperature of moon.
the ship is just above freezing. It should have been able to
Camping Supplies Tents, sleeping
operate at a higher level but for some reason its set to 7
bags, ropes, etc.
minimal requirements. There is no way to tell if was
Food Extra food supplies for the life
intentional or accidental. 8 support system. These are as expired as
The port engine always ran a little hot and it is completely the ones in the main system.
out of fuel. The Starboard engines fuel will be exhausted Spare Computer Parts Various
in as little as a day or could trickle out minimal power for 9 computer components for repairing the on-
a few weeks more. board computers
Survival Rations d100 days of camping
10
Deck 9 Cargo Hold rations
One work pod is missing. Water Packs d100 liters of water in one
11
liter packs
There are 2d10 cargo containers in the hold. Roll for the Lab Supplies Various supplies for the
number of containers and roll on the table for their 12 different labs on-board. Each time it is
contents (items marked with an * can only be found once, rolled it should be for a different type lab.
reroll if they appear again). If the random contents Envirosuits Fully enclosed suits for
Archaeological Artifacts and Biological Specimens 13 exploring toxic environments, 2 for each of
are not discovered before the last two containers are the original crew
opened they will be at that time. Spare Space Suits* Backup spacesuits
14
for each member of the crew.
Mechanical Parts Random parts for
Landing Module Deck 1 15
repairing ship systems.
All of the computers on this deck have been wiped clean
Random Personal Gear* extra personal
of any memory.
16 gear and clothing of the crews that is not
in their cabins
Landing Module Deck 2 Rocket Packs* - One for each of the crew
The hatch seals to the explorer bay failed and this bay is 17 members, for EVAs as needed plus two
exposed to space though the hatch remains closed. This spare refuel charges for each pack.
means that the explorer strapped to the deck here has 18 Parabatteries 1d10 Type I parabatteries
experienced extreme cold and all rubber and vinyl parts Spare Fuel Pellets* Sealed and
have degraded to uselessness. It is inoperable and requires shielded, this crate contains two Atomic
major repairs at a full service facility. 19
Fuel pellets that can be used to refuel the
The reactor still has fuel and has maintained power on the ships engines.
lander all this time but the life support here has expended Archaeological Artifacts* These are
all of its consumables and will no longer scrub oxygen 20 the Yazirian grave artifacts that were
collected on the last planet visited.
from the atmosphere though it maintains the proper
temperature. There are no power links between the Items marked with an * can only be found once.
module and the ship thus the reactor cannot provide
hour the PCs remain on the ship. If the PCs should,
power for the ship proper.
according to the referees opinion, fiddle with the
The reactor has been running a long time and some of its reactor in any way the chance becomes 20%. The reactor
containment program files are corrupted. There is a may be shut down by a star ship engineer for a skill check
chance it could go into overload (same as a ship self- but a critical failure will result in a runaway overload
destructing its atomic drives). The chance is 10% each requiring the module to be jettisoned. The Prodigal Sun
16
Frontier Explorer
will then have to ride out the self-destruction of the lander as well as removing parts from the subspace radio. He
module in close proximity and this could damage the ship also acquired weapons from the ships locker and then
further. destroyed the rest.

Getting the Prodigal

Sun Underway
There are numerous things wrong with the ship that the
PCs will want to address:
Life Support at minimal levels. Main life support is off-
line but can be reset in 10 minutes. Several test and
diagnostics should be run to confirm its working properly.
Failure to test the system should result in a problem in
1d5 hours like rising CO2 content in the atmosphere,
plumbing backing up and flooding areas of the ship,
dehumidification filters out of alignment and humidity
Tom Verreault
continuing to rise on the ship with droplets of water
condensing on walls and cool fixtures, or other things the
referee imagines. With him are several satharin slugs. These are the slugs
that the sathar use as cybo slugs but they have not been
The backup life support has been running at minimal implanted with their cybernetic flame throwers. This
levels for years and is just about exhausted. It should be means they retain their ability to spin self-hardening
taken off-line until it can be recharged and serviced. resin that can immobilize a person in seconds. They used
Players have the option of attempting to play around with this ability to spin cocoons for themselves and the sathar
this system but their go to source of life support should be and will chew their way out once vibrations by the PCs
the main system. disturb them or the heat begins rising. The cocoons can be
Not only are the atomic engines out of or almost out of found in the sub decks (the space beneath some of the
fuel but they sorely need an overhaul. If the PCs refuel the decks). There are 2 cocoons on sub deck 2, 3 on sub deck
engines the ship will only be able to get enough thrust for 3, and one plus an oversized one on sub deck 4. The space
0.6 G of simulated gravity. This speed will cause them to in the sub decks shows extensive resin webs being spun to
spend a day reversing their drift and another 4-5 days cover the deck and machinery. It takes ten minutes with a
heading toward some point in the system. Both engines laser scalpel to cut a 10 cm area of resin webbing.
will need an overhaul for balanced thrust. See Knight Koraffalo has no conscious memory of the sathar and
Hawks for details of how long an overhaul takes. believes that a Hir-Kal or clan spirit from the disturbed
yazirian graves killed the crew. He can interact with the
The Mystery on the sathar that hypnotized him and not realize its a sathar
believing it to be the Hir-kal. He may even seek to prevent
Prodigal the PCs from harming the sathar.
The last planet the Prodigal Sun set down on had a sathar
The sathar will seek to sabotage the ship and impede the
listening post. The sathar manning this post was an upper
progress of the PCs until he can take control of the
cast sathar who had received the sathar equivalent of
situation. This means he will attempt to remain hidden
banishment to Siberia. (Upper caste sathar were
and play on their fears of what might be aboard. He may
discussed in the Sathar Summit II article in Frontier
also seek to take the PCs shuttle and fly away with it but
Explorer #6). After Koraffalo lost the argument to not loot
that would be a last resort as he desires to turn several
the yazirian graves, he stormed off into the bush for a
of the PCs and start his own spy network in the UPF.
period of time where he encountered this sathar. Once the
upper caste sather hypnotized him, the sathar decided to
abandon his post and seek to better his position by Running the Adventure
infiltrating the Frontier onboard the Prodigal Sun. Keep track of time passing as you allow the PCs to move
throughout the ship and perform actions on ten minute
Things didnt work out exactly has he planned and he was
turns. A PC should be able to use an elevator to move
forced to cocoon himself and hibernate until such time as
elsewhere in the ship and perform an action or two, within
the ship might be found. He is the one that killed the rest
reason, inside of a 10 minute turn. If combat breaks out
of the crew when they discovered him or simply resisted
then the action shifts to regular combat rounds and the full
his attempt to hypnotize them. He also shut down the
combat is played out and then things shift back to the 10
main life support and reset the backup to minimal levels
minute turns.
17

The sathar and his slugs will be using air vents to move
around the ship and yet remain unseen, at least initially.
The sathar is aware of things like the potential for the
lander modules reactor to overload since he corrupted the
files himself. He could send a slug to chew into a control
run for the reactor triggering an overload. This would be
done if he needed a distraction and he could isolate and
neutralize a NPC or PC elsewhere in the ship.
Deactivated robots left unattended could be reactivated or
given a minor repair and reactivated. There is a shadow
programing that causes the robots to treat the sathar and
his slugs as crew of the highest authority. These would
unexpectedly try to detain the PCs again as per their
programing.
If the PCs have not released Koraffalo from the autodocs
freeze field then an apparent random power fault will.
This should happen fairly early on.
There are significant power shorts and any given deck can
be forced to have the lights go out. This would be used
attack a lone PC or NPC.
The resin web ability of the slugs could be employed to
create obstacles in areas. Key parts to operate important
equipment might go missing.
Eventually, the sathar will try to incapacitate a PC with a
stun weapon and have them encased in resin webs. The
PC will wake up in the dark and restrained. It will be pitch
black and he will hear the voice of the sathar attempting
to hypnotize him and convince him that there is a Hir-Kal
and the artifacts must be brought back to their clan in
yazirian space.
Sathar slugs (Pre cyber
implants)
The sathar only use the largest for cybernetic implantation
but the slug actually ranges in size from tiny to large.
Issue 10 Fall 2014
They can extrude a self-hardening resin webbing which
can even be used as a cocoon to hibernate in.
The sathar slug is native to the same ecosystem as the
sathar. They can climb walls and ceilings. Its body is
covered with a reflective slime which reduces damage
from laser and flame attacks. Slugs of small to large size
can extrude a resin web that hardens in seconds. The
attack has effects similar to a tangler grenade except the
resin hardens and is relatively permanent. The victim of
this attack will be immobilized unless he makes a STR
check to break free. Even if a victim breaks free the slugs
special attack it will continue to extrude resin and
automatically hits on the next turn until it is dead or the
victim is incapacitated. The resin web can be cut with a
laser scalpel.
Prodigal Sun Crew
Roster
Captain Marsha Teak
(human female)
Marsha was a driven company woman looking to advance
within the company. Her career had entailed numerous
scouting expeditions with the scouting of New Pale being
an important feather in her cap. Shes wearing her ship
suit, a belt with an empty holster, and her chronocom. In
her pockets are her ID card, a holo photo of her and a then
low level company executive wearing parkas at a ski
chalet (presumably taken on Pale), and a baton key that
will not unlock anything on the ship.
Preliminary Autopsy: Cause of death was most likely
manual strangulation possibly with a strap.
Full Autopsy: Cause of death was manual strangulation
but the attacker stood behind her command chair. There
are a series of nicks on her ear in a strange circular

Type Tiny Ominvore Small Ominvore Medium Omnivore Large Omnivore

Number 1 to 10 1 to 5 1 to 5 1 to 5
Move Medium Slow Very Slow Very Slow
Special Move Can cling to walls and ceilings
IM/RS 6/50 5/45 4/40 4 35
Stamina 10 20 40 80
Attack 50 45 40 40
Range N/A 1m PB 3m PB 5m PB
Damage 1d10 1d10 2d10 2d10
Special Attack N/A Resin Web Resin Web Resin Web
Special Defense 1/2 damage lasers + flame
Native Ecology Native sathar creature

18
Frontier Explorer
pattern. The strap mark of the preliminary autopsy was
in fact the tentacle of a sathar and the nicks on the ear is a
bite mark from the sathar. He was not trying to kill her but
rather hypnotizer her. Since she was successful in
resisting the hypnotism, the struggle became violent and
he bit her ear in an effort to keep whispering into it.
Purser Drewel Patton
(human male)
Authors Note: Drewel Patton is homage to the author,
Daren Patton, who wrote the short fiction that inspired
this adventure. Because he was the source of the
inspiration for this adventure I felt Daron should be
named in the adventure in some way. I changed the name
a little since this crewman is found dead and that should
not be construed as a slight on Daron in anyway.
Little is known of Drewel Patton other than his planet of
origin is Clarion in the White Light system.
Preliminary Autopsy: Cause of death asphyxiation by
vacuum.
Full Autopsy: He did indeed die by exposure to vacuum.
There are also unseen bruises circling his wrist. The
bruises happened too close to the time of death to show to
the naked eye. Their cause is indeterminate.
TKeec
(vrusk male)
TKeec was a noted archaeologist and scientist. He has
published numerous articles in scientific journals. He is
somewhat famous for a tome published in academic
circles, The Sociological Implications of Wypong
Funeral Practices as Evidenced in the Archaeological
Record. He keeps holo projection pictures of artifacts
hes personally recovered at archaeological digs. The holo
pics change to another artifact every 5 minutes.
Preliminary Autopsy: Disarticulation (he has been
dismembered into component parts of his external shell.
Full Autopsy: Peri-mortem drugging with a paralytic
compound and dismemberment of the body while still
alive. Death eventually resulted from blood and fluid loss
but only after all the arms and legs have been
dismembered and the killer had begun working on the
abdomen.
Ulkunk
(dralasite neuter)
Ulkunk was noted as a nervous techie his whole life. It
seemed he was often caught between the aggressiveness
of his captain and security officer and was noted in
TKeecs personal log as an ineffectual peace maker. The
ships medical records show that he had developed a
19
nervous habit of rubbing his eye spots causing them to
become inflamed.
Prliminary Autopsy: Exfluidation. (Severe fluid loss
leading to death).
Full Autopsy: Deep stab wounds leading to traumatic fluid
loss. Eye spots are enflamed.
Koraffalo Raff
(yazirian male)
Raff is from Athor. He has full citizenship rights on Yast
having completed his civil service requirement but has not
been home in 30 years. His record lists his clan affiliation
as clanless.
Preliminary Diagnosis: Severe dehydration presenting as
fever, sunken eye orbs, confusion, and delirium.
Treatment should be sedation and IV fluids but he may
not be communicative for 1-5 hours.
Once Koraffalo is able to talk he claims that the crew
disturbed yazirian warrior graves on an unexplored planet
somewhere within a nebula. He further claims that a Hir-
Kal or clan shadow came on board with the
archaeological artifacts and began killing the crew. He
survived by jury rigging the autodoc to put him into a
coma. He cannot tell you where this planet is and will be
surprised to learn the artifacts are missing.
The truth about Koraffalo is that he encountered a sathar
on the planet and was hypnotized. He killed the captain
and Ulkunk and continues to be in the sway of this sathar
which is now on board.
The Worm In the Works
The upper caste sathar hiding on the Prodigal Sun
(RW: 65, M: 55, PS 2, IM 6, RS: 60, STA: 60) Skein Suit,
laser pistol, sonic stunner, stun stick, 2 tangler grenade, 2
dose grenades, 1 smoke grenade, albedo screen, holo
screen (programmed to present a ghostly yazirian) power
belt, gas mask, and a chronocom tied into the ships com
system allowing the sathar to listen in as if at a master
display board (its difficult to detect this, -20 to skill
check).
Stockpiled equipment: 2 replacement power belts, 1 case
of grenades (various types), case of power clips, 5kg TD-
19, and 5 variable timers. Stockpiled equipment as well as
the pieces removed from the subspace radio are hidden on
the various sub decks. Players may find some of these
items with a concerted search of the sub decks.
His goals are to isolate and subdue the player characters
then hypnotize them. His ultimate plan is to create a spy
network in the Frontier and return to sathar space with
leverage to regain his old position.
FE
 Issue 10 Fall 2014

20
Frontier Explorer

21
 Issue 10 Fall 2014

Cadres and Cults

New Cadre: HAG

Thomas Verreault

Holo Actors Guild used either the Psych-social skill can be used or divide the
characters PER by 10 and treat that as the skill level for
The Holo Actors Guild is a Frontier-wide labor union the character.
numbering over 1 million beings. Its mission statement is
to negotiate and enforce collective bargaining agreements After a character performs in a holo role they make a
that establish equitable levels of compensation, benefits, Performance Check and consult the Career Impact table to
and working conditions for its performers, collect determine the impact on their career. This is a PER ability
compensation for exploitation of recorded performances check (for Alpha Dawn rules) or a standard skill check in
by its members, provide protection against unauthorized an alternative skill system. There is no Performance
use of those performances, and preserve and expand work Check for the role as extra.
opportunities for its members.
Career Impact Table
Any world with a population status above the level of
outpost has a guild chapter. The headquarters is naturally Performance
located at the City of Maze on Minotaur due to the Check Career Impact
proximity of Star Play, Inc. and the epicenter of the 40% audition penalty for 2-10
Critical Failure
holovision recording industry. years
HAG members visiting a planet can check in with the Failure by more 20% audition penalty for 1-5
local chapter and attempt to get a role for extra money than 20 years
during a planetary layover. If offered the role as an extra 10% Audition Penalty for 1-5
Failure
they just show for the day and get paid but other roles months
require an audition. An audition is simply a PER check Success N/A
with modifiers; add the modifiers to the PER check to see Success by Paid at level +1 on next job if
if the actor passes the audition. Once the audition is more than 20 within 1 year
passed, randomly determine the time commitment and if
Critical Paid (level +1)X 2 on next job
the player character cannot commit to that length of time
Success if within 1 year
then he or she must turn the role down.
In the Acting Role table the word level refers to skill level
in a performing skill. This presupposes a skill system Note the above rules are intended for an adventuring PC
using such skills like those in Zebulons Guide or one of that happens to have HAG membership because of his
the fan created systems like SF 2000 or A Skilled background or in game character development. They
Frontier should only be used to simulate attempts at making
[http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/104997/Star- money between adventures or on extended starship
Frontiersman-9]. If the Alpha Dawn rule system is being layovers.

Acting Role Table

Chance of Audition Time
Acting Role availability Modifier Commitment Pay
Extra 40% + 10%/level NA 1 day or 1-5days 25Cr/day
Local broadcast Commercial or
20% + 10%/level 15% 2-5 days At Level
Guest Appearance
Low Budget Independent Film 10% + 5%/level 10% 1-3 months Half level
Low Budget Studio Film 20% +10%/level 0% 1-3 months Level
Moderate Budget Studio Film 10% + 5%/level 15% 3-6 months Level
Big Budget Studio Film 1% + 5%/level 30% 3-6 months Level
22
Frontier Explorer
Recall by sab-m on Deviant Art
HAG membership could be used in game for an NPC
contact. If the PC has worked with a performance success
on the planet in question then they can attempt to use a
contact they made while acting. Details of this use are up
to the referee and should be role played. Possibilities are a
stunt man who happens to be a crack pilot and could fly
the PCs somewhere for a parabattery recharge and a few
drinks or an independent film maker that wants to do a
documentary about the type of subject that is the PCs
next mission and will help fund the expedition. Referees
and players should be creative with this.
HAG Members by PSA
Alpha Dawn rules
Military PSA
HAG members with this PSA very likely fill the ranks of
stunt beings but they could also be consultants who
advised on a project. They also might have been cast in a
minor role and discovered they liked acting or some other
aspect of the industry (writing or directing).
Technician PSA
Under the Alpha Dawn rules driving is a subskill of Tech
skill, thus a technician could easily be a stunt being.
23
However, tech skill would also apply to dealing with all
the electronic equipment being used as well.
Bio-Social PSA
Characters with Psyche-social skill may have studied this
skill to understand the behavior of sapient beings in their
drive to be an actor. A character with environmental skill
may be a consultant or technician or even an animal
handler.
Zebulons Guide
Most of the above applies to the Enforcer, Techex, and
Sci-spec professions. However, the Explorer profession is
tailor made for an animal handler/trainer working in the
holo vid industry.
Note: SF 2000 is an even more diversified version of the
Zebulons Guide skills rules and the above will apply to it
as well.
A Skilled Frontier Star
Frontiersman #9
The Artist PSA is perfect for actors and potentially writers
but the Scholar PSA could also apply to writers.
The Scout PSA will provide the ranks of both animal
trainers and stunt beings.
The Military and Pilot PSAs would be good foundations
for stunt beings.
The Agent PSA could be a foundation for acting.
Note: Ive mentioned writers and directors in a discussion
of the Frontiers version of SAG, the Screen Actors
Guild, and writers and directors are not strictly members
of the guild. HAG serves as a bit of setting fluff and a
spring board for discussing possibilities for player
character backgrounds being in the holo vid industry. Past
employment by the Star Play megacorp is almost a
certainty. There are numerous possibilities for PC
backgrounds with everything from out of work stunt being
to star-liner dinner cruise performer. A PC with a
background in the industry could be fun, interesting and
something different to spice up a game.
FE
Tom Dolan, author of the Wishful
Gaming blog, has started a small
web-zine of his own, the Zine-o-
Morph. The plan is for each issue
to have a theme and they will
cover topics ranging all across the
gaming spectrum from fantasy, to
sci-fi, to espionage, to military, to
anything else he can think of. You
can check out the first issue of Zine-o-Morph on
RPGNow today.

Characters
Bounty Hunters
Bounty Hunters
Kzarme-taa and Zango are two seasoned bounty hunters.
They prefer to use non-lethal force to apprehend their
fugitives although the can use deadly force if needed.
They have been bounty hunters for years and friends even
longer. After acquiring much wealth, as business was
good, they commissioned the Seeker to be built to meet
their needs.
These two are well known. They try to remain within the
law to apprehend their targets but, at times they have to go
intoas Zango calls it a grey area. They always get
their mark.
The Seeker
The Seeker is an advanced and unique spaceship. There
are not a lot of comforts aboard ship but, it was built with
utility in mind. It has several weapons and defenses
packed into its hull with room for two staterooms for the
crew, two cells for prisoners and two escape pods.
The computer is also unique. It links the propulsion,
navigation, defense, communication, security and robot
programs together. The computer is able to be programed
with automatic responses and able to defend itself; ex: if a
Kzarme-taa
Vrusk male (ambidextrous,
comprehension 35%)
STR/STA 40/50, DEX/RS 45/55
INT/LOG 60/50, PER/LDR 45/50
IM 6
PSA:Technical
Skills: Computer 3, Technician 3, Robotics 4, Projectile
3(53%), Martial arts 1 (30%), Environmental 1,
Psychosocial 1, Pilot 3, Astrogation 3, Engineer 3
Equipment: Security Skeinsuit (-25 pts, vs Ballistic/Melee),
NL4 Netgun (DAM: *, RNG: -/14/24/34/40, ROF: 1/2 MAG:
1), 3 Mag-Net* (-25 STR to resist), 3 Tase-Net* (3D10
elec. DAM & STA check or stunned 2d5 rds), Albedo
screen, Explorer Helmet(chronocom, compass, polyvox,
sungoggles, toxy-rad gauge), Power Beltpack(50seu),
Tactical vest, Bounty Shackles, Utility gauntlet(zipline, tag
tracer, techkit).
24
Issue 10 Fall 2014
Jason Combs
pirate ship fires on the Seeker, it is able to raise the
deflector screen, maneuver the ship to flee the pirate ship,
send an alert to the crew and activate the robots to prepare
to repel boarders.
The Seeker also contains a hidden automatic rifle that
drops down for the tail section over the ramp. It can fire
10 bursts before the Maintenance Robot needs to reload it.
The Pod Laser and Forward Firing Rockets face forward
and are used for attack. Facing rearward is an Ion Cannon
that will immobilize any pursuers.
The ship supports two cells. The first cell is a small two
meter by two meter room. It contains two racks and two
outlets. This is for storage of prisoners who have been
placed in freeze fields. The second cell is twice as large
and contains a bed as well as a sink and toilet (both which
fold into the wall).
The crew monitors Star Law transmissions for leads and
tips on fugitives that they are searching for. Logs are kept
of the fugitives caught, bounties received etc. One Life
Support system was kept self- contained and separate
from the main computer. Kzarme-taa felt that if for some
reason the computer was infiltrated, it could not turn off
all the life support and kill the crew in its sleep.
Finally, all doors require a fingerprint and voice
recognition. The cells also require a password to open.
Zango
Dralasite neutral(elasticity, lie detection
25%)
STR/STA 55/55, DEX/RS 50/50
INT/LOG 60/50, PER/LDR 45/50
IM 5
PSA: Military
Skills: Projectile 3(55%), Beam 2(45%), Thrown 1(38%),
Gyrojet 1(38%), Martial arts 1 (35%), Environmental 1,
Psychosocial 1, Rocket Weapons 3, Energy Weapons 2
Equipment: Security Skeinsuit (-25 pts, vs Ballistic/Melee),
Blaster Pistol (DAM: 4D10, RNG: 5/15, 2 SEU per shot),
Electrostunner, 4 Stun Grenades, Power Beltpack(50seu),
Tactical vest, Bounty Shackles, Albedo screen, Infrared
goggles with visocom, 8 power clips.
Frontier Explorer

Seeker Class Bounty Hunter vessel conventional EVA units allowing acceleration &
deceleration of up to 20m/turn each turn in zero gravity.
Hull Size 2
Level and Type: Level
Hull Points 10 3
ADF/MR 4/4 Body & Hit Points:
DCR 26 Standard 100
Engines 1 Atomic A Parabattery: Type I
Fuel 3 pellets Attack %/IM/RS:
60/6/60
Life Support 2 beings
Mod of Movement:
(Back Up) 2 beings Gas Jets
Astrogation Starship Normal/Max Speed
Videocom, Subspace Radio, (m/turn): 10m/120m
Communication
Intercom Limbs: 2 Mechanical arms (one has a welder
Detection Radar, Energy Sensor Weapons & Defenses: None
Pod Laser <Forward> Special Attacks: None
(DAM1D10; 50,000 km) Mission Programs: Machine: Operator-2, Machine:
Ion Cannon <Rear> (DAM***; Repair-3, Computers: Access & Operate-1, Power Read-
Weapons
60,000 km) Auto, Engineering (Spacer Skill)-3
FFR <Forward>(DAM2D10; Equipment: Anchor & cable (100m), magnetic grapple,
30,000 km) chronocom (linked to ships maintenance computer), laser
Reflective Hull Deflector Screen power torch (left arm), dual- c.a.s. (electrical &
Defenses mechanical), toxy-rad gauge, solar optics, power light
(6 hits) Skin Sensors
Drive (4), Life Support (1), Life
Support (1), Alarm (1), Computer
Type I Maintenance Robot
The Type I Maintenance robot comes directly from the
Lockout (4), Damage Control (1),
Star Frontiers game module SFAD5 Bugs in the System
Astrogation (4), Deflector Screen
(2), Pod Laser (1), Ion Cannon (1), Level and Type:
Computer FFR (1), Skin Sensors (1), Level 3
(Level 4 FP173, Analysis (3), Bureaucracy* (4), Body & Hit Points:
linked Commerce (1), Communication Standard 100
programs*) (1), Computer Security (4),
Parabattery: Type I
Information Storage (1),
Installation Security (3), Language Attack %/IM/RS:
(1), Law Enforce. (3), 50/5/50
Maintenance (1), Robot Mode of Movement:
Management (3) 3 mechanical legs
Cost 958,800 credits Normal/Max Speed
(m/turn): 10m/60m
Limbs: 3 mechanical arms
Robots
1 Mark I Hullbot, 1 Type 1 Maintenance Robot Weapons & Defenses: Albedo coating on limbs
(2d10ea)
Self-Defense Mechanism Special Attacks: None
Concealed automatic rifle (DAM: 5D10, RNG:
10/40/100/150/300, Ammo: 100 rds, RW: 50%, part of Mission Programs: Machine: Operator-1, Machine:
the Installation Security program) Repair-3, Computers: Access & Operate-1, Power Read-
Auto, Security Lock-1, Self-Defense-1, Vehicles: Repair-
Robot Specifications 1, Computers: Repair Mainframe-1
Equipment: Chronocom (linked to supervising computer,
robot brain or supervising personnel), laser power torch
Mark I Hullbot (left arm), dual-c.a.s. (electrical & mechanical), toxy-rad
The Mk I Hullbot has audio & video receptors located gauge, power read gauge, power light
behind plexiglass atop its body (50 sp), gas jets work like
25
 Issue 10 Fall 2014
Ship Map Key 5-Cell
1-Bridge This room is used to hold up to two prisoners in freeze
All functions can be controlled from here. fields.

2-Crew Quarters 6-Cell

Each room has a small bed (with storage underneath), This is small, one being room cell. It includes a toilet and
toilet and sink (both fold into the wall), a shower stall and sink (both fold into the wall) and a fresher.
a vidscreen. 7-Airlock
3-Escape Pods and Fresher This room allows one being (two in cramped conditions)
Two escape pods are in this area. There is also a small to enter and remove their spacesuits.
fresher for the crew. 8-Storage
4-Engine This is a storage room for spacesuits. Each room can hold
The small engine room allows one to overhaul the two.
engine and refuel it. 9-Ramp
This ramp lowers and allows access to the airlock.
FE

26
Frontier Explorer

Campaign Material

How Many Ships are there?

Tom Stephens

A couple of years ago, Jeff Rients, in his game blog, under construction at any one time.
appropriately entitled Jeff's Gameblog, posted an article Class II Centers can house any civilian ship of 14 hull
with the title of Star Frontiers and Space Elitism where he points or less, and military vessels of 6 hull points or
talked about how the rules of the Star Frontiers Knight less. Up to 50 hull points of ships can be under
Hawks game, which make it really hard for characters to construction at one time.
gain spaceship skills, set the tone that only the best of the Class III Centers are used only for the construction of
best are going to be sitting behind the controls of a system ships, since installing and adjusting atomic
starship. He compares it the early days of the American engines requires equipment that is not available at
space program, and that if your character got to the point these smaller centers. Any size civilian system ship
to learn those skills they were officially As Cool As An can be built at a Class III center, but these centers will
Astronaut. never be used for construction of military vessels. Up
Unlike most players I know, I didn't have a problem with to 20 hull points of ships may be under construction
this difficulty in acquiring spaceship skills. I guess I at one time.
bought into the idea that space travel was rare and It should be noted that in the above descriptions, that
difficult. As a kid in the 80's it was in real life so why these rules only make sense if you assume that hull
not? I've always played the game such that spacecraft are points means points of hull size, i.e. an assault scout, HS
expensive and uncommon, so why shouldn't the skills be 3, has 3 hull points for construction purposes. If not, then
hard to get as well? there isn't a military ship that could be built at a Class II
At the end of his piece he has a quote: Starting PCs center as even a fighter has 8 hull points.
dream of joining the elite, those who are trusted to operate
the small fleet of starships operated by the United
Available Starship Construction
Planetary Federation Spacefleet, the richest planetary Centers
governments, and the handful of interstellar corporations. System (Planet) Center Class
(emphasis mine). That line got me thinking. I like the Araks (Hentz) II
number of ships to be small, but how small is the number
Cassidine (Rupert's Hole) III
of ships in reality? Do the rules justify only having a
small number of spacecraft, or do they imply large Cassidine (Triad) I
numbers flying around? Just how many ships are plying Dramune (Outer Reach) III
the spacelanes of the Frontier? I decided to find out. Fromeltar (Terledrom) II
Prenglar (Gran Quivera) I
The Rules Theseus (Minotaur) II
Almost everything thing we need to solve this question Truane's Star (Pale) III
can be found in the first ten pages of the Knight Hawks
White Light (Clarion) III
Campaign book, most of it on pages 9 and 10. Here's a
quick summary of the relevant rules, quoted directly from Note that the table in the rules also lists the Number of
the book. Hulls. This is just the number of size 6 stations hulls that
are strung together to make the SCC. The higher class
Construction Times centers have more station hulls to provide their larger
The time needed to actually build a spaceship equals the capacities. Ive left off that statistic as it isnt relevant to
hull size of the ship x 30 days. For example, an assault the investigation.
scout (hull size 3) can be built in 90 days.
Annual Maintenance
Starship Construction Center All spaceships, whether starships, system ships, or
Capacity shuttles, should undergo routine maintenance once every
Class I Centers can construct any type of military or year. Any spaceship construction center can perform
civilian ship. Up to 140 hull points of ships can be
27
 Issue 10 Fall 2014
routine maintenance on any
ship, even if the ship could not
have been built at that center.
These routine checks,
replacements and tune ups
take a number of days equal to
1d10 plus the hull size of the
ship. The cost is assessed to
the ship owner at a rate of
1,000 Cr per day of work.
When the ship is operating
under a company charter, the
company and the owner split
the cost in half.
If the ship has gone more than
a year without maintenance,
add another d10 to the number
of days needed to complete the
work. If two years have based
2d10 should be added, and so
on. In other words, for each
year that the ship is not
maintained, another 1 to 10 Scott Mulder
days of work are required
when it finally does get into the shop. ships went into whichever SCC had room for them.
2. When there was space available in a SCC, the
Simulating Ship simulation would go down through the queue of
waiting ships to find one that would fit, skipping over
Construction larger ships. However, if a ship was skipped over it is
Given the rules above we can create a simulation of the noted and once a ship has been passed over a number
flow of ships through all the starship construction centers of times equal to its hull size, it cannot be skipped and
in the Frontier. the SSC's are allowed to drain until it can be fit in.
3. Ships waiting for annual maintenance always take
While the rules give instructions for determining the precedence over new ships in line to be built.
backlog at a given SSC at a random point in time and how
long it will take for there to be room for the PC's ship to Implications of the
go in for maintenance or construction, that wasn't
necessary for the simulation (and is somewhat unrealistic
Assumptions
The above modifications and assumptions have a few
to boot) since in the simulation, we know exactly how
implications. First, let's talk about the two modifications
many ships are being worked on and when they will
that I make to the rules for what ships can be built and
finish.
serviced where. In the long term, these really have little
to no effect on the final number of ships that can exists as
Simulation Assumptions eventually there will be a distribution of ships of various
When running the simulation I made a couple of slight sizes and all of them will be in for maintenance, not new
modifications to the above rules and some assumptions. ships being built. The only real effect it has it to allow for
the simulation to reach a steady state a little bit faster.
Modifications
1. I removed the size restriction on the Class II The assumption of a shared queue basically has the same
construction centers allowing them to build or service effect if it has any effect at all. It was made mainly for
ships of any size. simplicity it programming the simulation.
2. I removed the restriction on Class III centers limiting
The skipping of larger ships a few times had a couple of
them only to system ships.
effects on the simulation that I was able to check by
turning this feature on and off. First, it slightly lowered
Assumptions
the average hull size of ships in the Frontier. This is
1. A shared queue across all SCCs in the Frontier I
understandable as it slightly gives preference to smaller
just maintained one master list of ships to be built and
28
Frontier Explorer
ships. The other effect was to make the processing of
ships through the SCCs more efficient by having less
space in the SCCs sitting unused waiting for more space
to free up to get the larger ships in. This resulted in the
total number of ships that the SCCs could support begin
slightly higher.
The final assumption that maintenance takes precedence
over new construction allowed simulations to reach a
steady state were no new ships were being built and all of
the SCC capacity was being taken up with maintenance.
Eventually this steady state is what would be reached if all
ships in the Frontier were getting their annual
maintenance. This steady state represents the maximum
number of ships that the SCCs can support.
Enough Already! What's the
Answer?
Would you accept 42? Probably not. Be patient and we'll
get there in a minute. There is one more bit of
information we need to know in order to determine the
maximum number of ships and that is the distribution of
hull sizes. Are there equal numbers of all hull sizes, more
little ships than large ones, or clusters around different
hull sizes?
Without detailing every ship in the Frontier there is really
no way to know. I tried several different distributions
from purely random, to basing on the hull size
distributions from pages 5-7 at the beginning of the
Campaign book, to heavily weighting toward smaller
ships. In the end it I settled on simulating three
distributions: purely random with equal probability of all
hull sizes, a distribution based on the known ships in
Starfleet, the militias, and the ship sizes from the
Campaign book with a reasonable assumption of the
relative number of the different types of ships, and finally
a distribution that had equal probability up to hull size 10
Scott Mulder
29
and then falling off toward hull size 20, giving more
smaller ships than larger ones.
The Numbers of Ships
Okay, finally! With all that background it's time to get to
the final numbers. Drum roll please. Based on all of the
known information, the Starship Construction Centers of
the Frontier can support between 1,200 and 1,700 ships.
Total. The exact number depends on the model of hull
size distributions with the flat distribution (average hull
size 9.8) supporting 1200 ships and the flat then falling
distribution (average hull size 7.8) supporting 1700 ships.
The other model (probably the most realistic) gave 1400
ships.
So I was right! Based on the rules as given in the game,
the number of ships in the Frontier really is quite small.
Spaceflight doesn't happen a lot and you really do need to
be the best of the best to have a chance at getting behind
the controls of a starship. Let's see what this means for
life in the Frontier. And then let's look at ways to increase
the number of ships flying around.
Implications
The small number of ships has several implications for
life in the space lanes of the Frontier.
Number of ships in each system
Lets work with 1500 ships, it's a nice round number in
the middle of the range and close to the value given by the
most realistic model. Now of those 1500 ships, 60 belong
to Spacefleet and 37 belong to the militias, which leaves
us just 1400 ships for all the mega-corps, freight
companies, private yachts, shuttles, and system ships.
That's not very many. There are 16 star systems and 22
planets in the Frontier (according to the AD rules that KH
was supposed to supplement). That means, given 1400
ships we have an average of 64 ships per planet. That's
not really a whole lot considering about half of those may
just be small shuttles to get people and goods to and from
the planetary surface.
And even if you only divide by the number of systems,
that still only 87-88 ships per system. Most likely they
are distributed based on the population of the planet but
even so, that still probably gives you no more than a
couple hundred ships at the high population worlds.
Size of Spacefleet
Between Spacefleet and the militias, we have a hundred
ships or one military vessel for every 14 civilian vessels.
And if a large number of those civilian ships are shuttles
and system ships, the number of Void capable ships is
even smaller and the ratio is better. Given these number
of ships, this isn't an unreasonable size for Spacefleet and
the planetary militias. They are still probably stretched a

little thin but barring a major outbreak of trouble, the
listed ships can keep a handle on the space traffic.
Of course, if you want to have more ships in your
campaign, you'll probably want to boost Spacefleet's
numbers as well.
Travel
Interstellar travel, and even interplanetary travel (in
systems with more than one habitable planet), is going to
be fairly uncommon. Unless you have really small
populations, even on the Heavy population worlds, most
people will have never been off planet into orbit, let alone
gone to another planet or star system. There just isn't the
capacity to move large numbers of people around the
Frontier.
Even assuming that half of the available ships (which is
probably a very high overestimate) were passenger liners
and each one could carry 500 beings (again, probably a
high overestimate), that's a total capacity of 350,000
beings. If an average jump takes a week (10 days in the
Frontier) that's 350,000 beings a week that can be mobile
about the entire Frontier. Compare that to the US airline
industry that moves a little less than 15,000,000 people a
week. It's not a lot. Its much more comparable to the
cruise line industry which has about 390,000 passengers a
week. This probably also means that prices are fairly high
(higher than those given in the rules).
Interstellar Trade
With this small starship capacity, the amount of
interstellar trade that is possible is also very limited. Most
planets will have to be self-sufficient. There simply isn't
the cargo capacity to move large quantities of goods
between worlds. If a planet isn't capable of being self-
sufficient in the necessities, it will not last long as a
developing world and will at best ever have a very small
population.
The lack of capacity means that getting space on a ship
will be expensive. Trade will be limited to the transport of
high value items: expensive luxury items, rare foods and
minerals, and critical supplies for medicine and
infrastructure that can't be obtained or manufactured
locally. The most likely model for the megacorps isn't to
manufacture an item on one world and ship it throughout
the Frontier. Rather they will have an R&D and
prototyping department at their corporate headquarters
and when they want to open a market on a new world will
build a manufacturing plant on that world and ship their
designs to be manufactured locally.
Old Ships
The small number of ships and limited capacity for
manufacture and repair means that ships will be old. In
the simulations, the number of ships reached a steady state
after only a couple of decades. Thus the Frontier has been
30
Issue 10 Fall 2014
Scott Mulder
at maximum capacity for some time and the SCCs are at
full capacity just keeping the ships in existence running.
It takes 150 days to build a new HS 5 ship. That same
size ship takes only 10-11 days on average for its yearly
maintenance. Thus during the time it takes to build the
ship, some 13-15 ships are waiting on their yearly
maintenance. Trying to squeeze in the construction of a
new ship will take some work and will displace a large
number of ships that could be in being serviced. This
means that ship owners will typically try to squeeze as
many years of service out of a ship as possible to avoid
having to deal with the cost of construction.
Given the breakdown rules (1%+1% per five years of
age), ships can be pretty old before you start to see regular
occurrences of breakdowns. A ship 25 years old only has
a 6% chance of breakdown on any give trip. Since a ship
typically takes only 20 or less trips a year, at that age you
might have one breakdown a year if you're unlucky. And
a ship has to be 45 years old to have a 1 in 10 chance of a
breakdown. Given the high cost of ships and difficulty of
building a new one, that's something owners would
probably be willing to work with and budget for. So it
wouldn't be surprising to see ships that are up to 50, 75, or
even 100 years old still flying around.
Piracy
Since ships are rare, if pirates do manage to capture a
ship, it is very unlikely that they are going to leave it
drifting. They will do everything in their power to
capture the ship intact to be used later. Very rarely will
the cargo be worth more than the ship itself.
On the other hand, the limited number of ships in the
Frontier means that every single one is known. Once
captured by pirates, it could never be taken into port
without being recognized.
Frontier Explorer
Jump Tugs
While this isnt an effect of the low number of ships, it is
a direct result of the fact that there isnt a SCC in every
system. This means that either systems without at least a
Type III SCC dont have any system ships or, more likely,
there exists some sort of transport ship to get the system
ships from the SCCs to the systems that they will operate
in. I detailed exactly this type of ship, the Jump Tug, for
exactly this reason in issue 9 of the Star Frontiersman.
Please sir, can I have
some more?
So 1500 ships isn't a whole lot, and most people probably
want more ships to be flying around than that. There are
several ways, still keeping with the basic rules, to increase
the ship capacity.
Annual Maintenance
One way to allow more ships is to play with how often
ships come in for annual maintenance. This could be
done by modifying how often it occurs and where it
occurs.
Frequency
If everyone only brought their ships in every other year,
the Frontier's existing SCCs could support an additional
600 ships, about a 40% increase in number. If ships only
came in every third year you'd add another 300 ships in
capacity.
That assumes of course that the maintenance rules don't
change and each year skipped adds 1d10 days of work to
be performed. If you make the amount of work required
less, you increase the number of ships that can get in for
maintenance each year and thus increase the total
capacity. For example if the work required was 1d10+HS
days after two years instead of one, you would double the
number of ships that could be supported instead of only
getting a 40% increase.
Scott Mulder
31
Of course, with the standard rules, skipping an annual
maintenance is a fairly significant risk. Each maintenance
skipped adds 5% to the breakdown chance, the equivalent
of having a ship 25 years older than it really is. If,
however, you reduced the additional breakdown chance
from 5% a year to only 1%, you'd have a lot more owners
only bringing their ships in every 3 or 4 years, thus
increasing the number of ships that the SCCs could
support.
Location
As written the rules seem to require that the maintenance
work on the ships occur in the SCCs. If, however, you
allow this maintenance to occur elsewhere, say a ground
based stations for shuttles, on board carriers for fighters,
at regular stations for other ships, or specialized Starship
Repairs Centers (SRCs), you can greatly increase the
capacity of ships supported by the Frontier's SCCs.
Adding additional maintenance facilities equal in capacity
to the SCCs immediately doubles the number of ships that
can supported. And that can be achieved simply by every
planet having the capacity to do maintenance on 25 hull
points of ships.
Starship Construction
Capacity
Another way to have more ships is to simply increase the
construction capacity of the existing SCCs or add more of
them. If you simply decide that the capacity is double
what is listed, you double the number of ships that the
Frontier can support. If you say it's ten times as much,
you get ten times as many ships. Or if you only want
smaller bumps, consider adding small SCCs in some of
the systems that don't already have them.
A great example of adding in more capacity by way of a
small SCC is Boneyard Station, a custom used starship
center designed by Richard Rose (a.k.a. Shadow Shack)
as part of his campaign setting. This station was
highlighted in the Boneyard Station article in issue 8 of
the Frontier Explorer. It is a Type III SCC specializing in
ship customization and construction of ships from used
hulls and new and used parts. Full technical detail of the
station and its capabilities can be found in the Boneyard
Station article on page 56 of issue 15 of the Star
Frontiersman which describes the station and its services.
Final Thoughts
Of course, you can just ignore all this and not worry about
it. However, understanding the dynamics of how ships
are built and maintained, the impact that has on the
number of ships flying around, and the repercussions that
has on things like travel and trade help improve the
verisimilitude of your campaign.
FE
 Issue 10 Fall 2014

Optional Rules

Edges and Flaws for

Starships Thomas Verreault

The following was adapted from David Eckelberry and
Andy Collins article, Starships Perks & Flaws in
Dragon #255 which was written for the Star Drive game
system. The durability points of the Star Drive system
dont translate well to Star Frontiers but many of the ideas
in the article are adaptable and I developed a few edges
and flaws specifically for Star Frontiers. A ship shouldnt
have more than one or two edges or flaws.
Edges
Advanced Intelligence
The vessel has an advanced AI, a level 6 robotic brain
from the Alpha Dawn rules. This AI can assist the
characters with skill checks (+10 to +20 at referees
discretion) or execute orders like firing weapons,
overloading the engines or plotting a course.
Advanced Technology
Possibly developed in a secret corporate lab or looted
from an ancient alien cache, this starship contains
advanced technology. One system aboard the vessel
operates on an order of magnitude greater than normal for
that system. Engines would be at +1 ADF. A weapon
system could have greater range, increased damage
(+1d10), or a better Damage Table Modifier than normal
(-10 to existing DTM). Defensive systems like ICMs
would double its effects on weapons like torpedoes and
rockets.
This perk can be a flaw if the ships uniqueness becomes
common knowledge or if the advance tech is a weapon
system that expends ammunition; making replacements
difficult to obtain.
and if successful he gives another crew member a +10
bonus to a skill check.
Efficient Engine Design
The atomic drive of this vessel is so well designed that it
may make one more Void jump than normal before
requiring an overhaul.
Famous
In the Frontier, the ship has become famous. Whether as a
veteran of a corporate war, the discoverer of rich new
planets, or as an accomplished and profitable freighter,
her crew gains a +5 or +10 bonus to NPC reactions or
PER checks where appropriate.
Hardened Vessel
The ship has reinforced hull plating and gains +1 HP per
hull size.
Hidden Compartment
Hidden compartments are difficult to discover during a
physical search. Scanning for them can be done with hand
held scanners but if the compartments are empty they are
not likely to show up as anything on the scan. A
demolitions tool kit scanner will reveal the presence of
explosives (if hidden in the compartment) or an
environmentalists scanner will reveal the presence of
biological organisms and so on.

Beautiful
The vessels configuration, whether intentional or not, is
such that its color, shape, lines, and detailing causes the
vessel to be perceived as a work of art. The vessel will
forever be praised and admired.

Efficient Command Deck

On the ships command deck the consoles, interfaces, and
system stations function together in a synergy that
enhances the teamwork of the command crew. During a
combat turn the ships captain may make a LDR check Scott Mulder

32
Frontier Explorer
Lucky
Fortune has been kind to this ship. Once per game session
the crew can change a failed die roll involving the ship or
one of its systems by adding (or subtracting) 20% to the
result
Military Shortfall
This star ship was designed to military specs and yet has
found its way into civilian hands. Weapon systems with
controlled or restricted munitions still remain difficult to
obtain but otherwise the vessel is a military vessel.
Off Bore FF weapons
One of the vessels weapons with the designation of
Forward Fire can actually shoot off bore. This means that
instead of using the narrow & restricted FF firing arc this
weapon has a 60 firing arc.
Popular Model
Because this model of ship is so popular and the ship is
everywhere its almost invisible; no one notices it. Parts
are easier to come by, 50% greater chance of the parts
being available for repairs. In addition repair techs are
very familiar with the class of ship and repair times are
cut by 25%.
Tough Bulkheads
Reinforced bulkheads and bracing help this ship resist
damage. All rolls on the Advanced Damage Table are
modified by +10 and damage applied to hull points is
reduced by 1 point per dice of damage.
Flaws
Aged Hull
Any time the hull is repaired there is a 25% chance that it
cannot be fully repaired. If this happens the new
maximum amount of hull points is permanently reduced
by 1 point.
Erratic Intelligence
The good news is the ship comes with a robotic brain to
assist the crew but the bad news is that its unreliable or
downright insane. There is a 1 in 5 chance that it will
refuse to carry out an order but it will not expose the hull
to damage in so doing. The source of the AIs madness
can be flawed programming, alien influence, or simply the
loneliness of interstellar travel has driven it over the edge.
Expression of the AIs madness is left up to the referee
but the full spectrum of mental illness in humanity can be
used to develop this.
Infamous
The name of this vessel is a vile epithet across the
Frontier. Everywhere the vessel travels it is recognized
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and disparaged. The crew suffers a -10% penalty to initial
NPC reactions and PER checks.
Poorly Tuned Engines
This ships atomic drive is poorly tuned and requires an
overhaul one void jump sooner than normal.
Primitive Systems
At least two of the vessels systems are outdated. ADF or
MR would be reduced by 1 point. A weapons system
would be larger and more massive to the point of reducing
the overall number of weapons the vessel could carry by
one. A defensive system like the MS or ICMs would have
the amount of assets cut in half. A beam weapon might
also have its range reduced by 1 hex.
Scott Mulder
Temperamental
The vessel my occasionally suffer a systems failure
without ever suffering damage. This can happen once per
game session.
Ugly
Though appearance has no effect on the performance of a
vessel, this star ship causes reactions of contempt and
disgust by anyone familiar with the standards of ship
construction. The ships appearance is likely to cause
consistent comment by NPCs.
Unlucky
Some say the ship is cursed. Cursed or not, it seems that
the vessel and her crew consistently suffer ill luck. Once
per game session the game master may modify a
successful die roll involving the ship by 20 points in an
unfavorable direction.
Vulnerable
The design of the ships bulkheads fails to protect one of
the ships systems in combat. A hit to ADF or MR takes
out two points instead of one, a DCR hit would take out
3/4s of the DCR instead of half, a weapon hit will take out
two weapons or a defensive system hit will take out an
additional defense, etc.
 Issue 10 Fall 2014

Vessels of the Frontier

The Dubliner Family

Tom Verreault

Zeek Dublin was a spacer on Minotaur Merchant Marine

vessels and served in both Common Musters. Despite his
ship being destroyed in the Battle of Morgaine's World he
survived the battle and mustered out after the war.
The disposition of the prizes captured by the First
Common Muster were tangled up in courts as there was
no interstellar body to adjudicate the case and it did not
get settled till after the First Sathar War. There were, by
that time, fewer survivors of the 1st Common Muster to
divide the prize money amongst. Zeek used his share as
well as service pay and took advantage of special rate
loans for combat veterans and bought a Pacific class
(Gullwind class) merchant vessel after the war naming it
the Gypsy Wind.
Scott Mulder
He became the patriarch of a clan of spacers marrying
Cherry Rodrick. Theirs was a May/November romance
with her being half his age. Zeek has passed on but Cherry Call for Submissions
"Ma" Dublin runs the family business. The Gypsy Wind Our next issue will be out in January and were going for a
holds the note on two other vessels crewed by family Yazirian theme this time around. If you have any material,
members; the Gygsy Trader captained by Zeek's nephew, whether it be stories, rules, art, adventures, or anything else
and the Gypsy's Luck captained by Cherry's eldest son. related to yazirians, wed love to have you submit them
through the Frontier Explorer website
She's been grooming her youngest child to captain of the
(http://frontierexplorer.org) for inclusion in the Winter 2015
Gypsy Wind while she steps back and attends to business.
issue. Just hit the big, gold Submit New Content button to
send it in.
Crew is almost exclusively family on Gypsy clan ships
though personal friends of the captain of a vessel can find And if you have material that youd like to submit that doesnt
a berth. Advancement within a ship's crew is glacially relate to that themes specifically, thats okay too, you dont
slow but adding a new vessel to the "fleet" creates have to wait. Submit them now and they may still end up in
opportunities that are highly sought after. the next issue or the one after that. We prioritize all user
submissions over anything we create so we can get your
Note the Gypsy Wind is nearly identical to the Gullwind material published as soon as possible.
from the Dramune Run module (SFKH1) and those deck
plans can be used for this ship. Gypsy Trader is a large And dont worry if you dont think it is good enough yet.
Well work with you to get it ready if you want. And if you
freighter and conforms to the deck plans for the large
need an idea to help get your creative juices flowing, were
freighter in the Warriors of White Light module (SFKH0)
considering doing a Yazirian themed issue. So think up
which came bundled with the Knight Hawks box set. anything related to Yazirian creatures, clans, equipment,
Finally the Gypsys Luck is a Rim Song Class yacht from attitudes, etc and send it in. We cant wait to see what you
Yachts and Privateers Return by Douglas Niles in come up with.
Dragon #88.
Submissions for the next issue need to be in by December 1 st
Gypsy Wind: HS 6, HP 24, ADF 4, MR3, DCR 38; at the absolute latest so we have time to review, edit, and
Weapons LB; Defenses RH, life boat. work with you to prepare the articles for publication. Early
Gypsy Trader: HS 10, HP 50, ADF 1, MR1, DCR 50; submission is even better as that gives us more time to
prepare. So dont be shy, send in your articles and share your
Weapons LB; Defenses RH, MSx2
work with the community. And remember submissions
Gypsys Luck: HS 3, HP 15, ADF 4, MR3, DCR 29; doesnt have to be for Star Frontiers. Any sci-fi topic is fair
Weapons LB; Defenses RH, no life boat. game.
FE
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